21 June 1933

CONCLUSIONS OF THE LAND INVESTIGATION MOVEMENT RALLY OF RESPONSIBLE PERSONS OF SOVIETS OF THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND ABOVE OF THE EIGHT COUNTIES

[Text] After hearing the report of Comrade Mao Tse-tung, Chairman of the Central Government, on the land investigation movement and 5 days of detailed discussions, the Land Investigation Movement Rally of Responsible Persons of Soviets of the District Level and Above of the Counties of Ju-chin, Hsing-kuo, Yu-tu, Teng-t’ai, Po-sheng, Shih-ch’eng, Ning-hua, and Ch’ang-t’ing, called by the Central Government from 17 to 21 June 1933, has profoundly understood the importance of the movement. It feels that, in the great victories of the soviet movement, as the tens of millions of the masses in the soviet areas have established their own political power, confiscated the land of the landlord class for distribution to the peasant masses, and restricted the exploitation of the workers by the capitalists, and as the broad masses have aroused their positivity in the revolutionary victory, great achievements in the revolutionary war and the soviet construction have been made, innumerable enemy attacks repelled, the soviet areas expanded, and the vigorous development of the soviet movement promoted. All these have been a result of the correct leadership of the Communist Party and the soviet government and the positive support of such leadership shown by the broad masses. However, it does not mean that no serious problem exists in the soviet areas. Precisely because of the vigorous development of the soviet movement that the class enemies within and without the soviet areas are incessantly waging their desperate struggle and resistance. Outside the soviet areas, the enemies resort to military attacks. Inside they follow another pattern. The landlords, rich peasants, and class deviationists conceal their true counter-revolutionary nature and utilize the opportunities in many soviet areas where the land issue has not been completely solved. Among many them still possess certain economic bases, such as the many landowner elements whose land and assets have not been completely confiscated and the many rich peasant elements who have been allocated good land. Many of them also have infiltrated the soviet organs, mass organizations, and the local militia. They abuse the prestige of the soviet, suppress the development of the mass struggle, deceive, bribe, and threaten a part of the masses, spread rumors, organize secret

societies, falsely accuse and injure the positive work personnel of the soviet, and pursue all types of conspiratorial and disorderly activities. Such a situation is actually discovered frequently in many areas of the central soviet regions. The Rally of the Eight Counties feels that this is a serious problem. To destroy finally the remnant feudal forces, thoroughly solve the land issue, and consolidate the soviet political power, an extensive and intensive land investigation movement must be launched. The Rally of the Eight Counties feels that the land investigation movement is actually a cruel and violent class struggle, a great mass revolutionary movement, and the most important link in the current work. Therefore, the land investigation movement requires a large-scale organizational mobilization, firm implementation of the class line, and patient and complete mass work. The Rally unanimously supports the order of the Central Government on the land investigation movement and fully subscribes to the following conclusions.

I. Organizational Mobilization

1. All units of the government must take concerted actions. Not only the land, worker-peasant procurators’, and judicial departments, and the political security bureau must shoulder the main responsibility of the land investigation movement, but the finance, military affairs, national economy, and education departments must also perform all items of necessary work in the movement, while the government chairman and the presidium must serve as the leaders of the entire movement. To feel that it is only the function of the land department is wrong.

2. The county, district, and township levels must all organize land investigation committees, under the governments of the various levels and in charge of the general leadership responsibility of the movement. In addition to the responsible persons of the government, the committee members must also include the personnel of mass organizations.

3. The county soviet must immediately formulate a countywide land investigation movement plan for July. Thereafter, the land investigation movement plan for the following month must be formulated at the end of each month.

4. The district soviet must call a meeting of the chairmen of township soviets and poor peasants’ leagues and formulate a plan for the work of the first 7 days. Thereafter, there must be plan formulation and work inspection every 7 days. Nevertheless, for those townships which are too far away, the parties concerned may attend the meetings at the district soviet every 14 days. For those townships which are too far away, the parties concerned must attend the meetings every 7 days, in order to promote the rapid development of the land investigation movement.

5. In regard to the mobilization pattern of the township level, attention must be given to the following: (1) the township congress, (2) the labor

union, (3) the poor peasants’ league, (4) the women’s congress, (5) the Red Guard and Young Pioneers, (6) other revolutionary organizations, and (7) village and hamlet mass meetings. Only through such organs, organizations, and mass meetings will the mass strength be mobilized into the land investigation movement. Any method tending to reduce the sphere, seeking convenience without regard to the majority of the masses, is incorrect.

6. The county soviet must hold a land investigation movement training class which will include one person from every township and continue for 10 days. Then a second training class must be held, also including one person from every township. The most positive elements among the township soviet congress, poor peasants’ league, and labor union will be selected for training and afterward returned to their original townships to lead the movement. However, those from the advanced districts and townships must be sent to the backward districts and townships to work. There must be two classes every month during the 3 months of July, August, and September.

The provincial soviet must select the positive elements from the advanced counties and districts to hold a land investigation movement training class and send the graduates to lead the movement in the backward counties and districts.

7. For the success of the land investigation movement, the organization of the government departments must be immediately made sound, mainly by eliminating double-duty and the habit of frequent transfers and adding the required work personnel.

8. The township level must organize a confiscation division committee, elected by the poor peasants’ league and serving under the township soviet, and in charge of confiscating the land and assets of the landlords and rich peasants.

II. Implementation of the Correct Class Line in the Land Investigation Movement

1. Relying on the poor peasants, allying with the middle peasants, and enabling the farm laborers to produce a leadership effect in order to completely eliminate the landlord class, block the rich peasants from stealing the land benefits of the revolution, and weaken their economic hold constitute the correct class line and struggle strategy which must be firmly followed in the land investigation movement. In regard to allying with the middle peasants, it must be started from respecting the interests of the middle peasants. Without the consent of the parties concerned, the land of the middle peasants (including the well-to-do middle peasants) must not be divided. At the beginning of the land investigation, the policy of allying with and respecting the interests of the middle peasants must be generally propagandized. In the process of land investigation, the borderline cases between middle and rich peasants must be determined carefully, without any mistake. In dividing the confiscated land and assets,

attention must be given to the middle peasants and the individual impoverished elements among them must not be left out. In regard to enabling the farm laborers to produce a leadership effect, mainly it is in urging them to join the poor peasants’ league and form a farm laborers’ cell, in order to study the positivity poor peasant elements through them, develop the poor peasants’ league, and hasten the process of the land investigation movement. When dividing the confiscated land and assets, the farm laborers must be given priority.

2. Correctly analyzing the class classifications from the actual social relations is an important part of implementing the class line. The errors on this issue committed in the past must be promptly rectified. All actual class classification problems must be solved according to the criteria set forth in "How To Analyze the Classes." The criteria must be widely explained among the masses, primarily the cadres.

3. The goal of land investigation is "class investigation," not land redivision. The idea that land investigation requires "staking" is incorrect. Only after the conclusion of the cruel struggle of class investigation and when the majority of the masses demand the redivision of certain individual parcels will redivision be permitted. Such strict distinction is not only for the purpose or stabilizing the land ownership of the peasants, so that they will not be alarmed over the "uncertain land division," but also for the success of the "class investigation" struggle where must concentrate our entire force (especially allying with the middle peasants) against the resistance of the landlords and rich peasants. At this time, there must not be any dissension in the peasants’ own ranks.

4. All possible clan and local disputes must be avoided, and all forces united to deploy the struggle against the landlords and rich peasants. Therefore, resolving the impoverished masses of the particular village and the particular clan to clarify the landlords and rich peasants of the said village and the said clan is an important strategy of the land investigation movement. Similarly, the struggle to break down superstition (though proper) must be subordinated to the "class investigation" struggle.

III Mass Work

First of all, we must rectify the neglect of winning the majority of the masses in many areas and the bureaucraticist and commandist work pattern. We must understand that only by patiently and arduous work to active and win the masses will we gain the support of the majority, bring out their maximum positivity, and attain the goal of the complete destruction of the feudal remnants. Such mass work is the only guarantee to the implementation of the class line and must be manifested in the following practical actions in the land investigation movement.

1. The start of the land investigation movement must be widely propagandized in all the villages and hamlets, and the necessity of the movement

explained to the masses. Land investigation is class investigation, not land redivision; class investigation is not an encroachment on the middle peasants. It is especially important to explain the distinctions among the landlords, rich peasants, and middle peasants to the masses. Village and hamlet mass meetings must be held more than once. The most backward villages and hamlets, especially, must hold more meetings, so that our land investigation movement propaganda will reach every member of the revolutionary masses. To attain this goal, we must first explain the movement clearly to the positive elements of the township congress, labor union, poor peasants’ league, laboring women’s congress, and other mass organizations and generally and intensively propagandize to the broad masses through them.

2. After collecting the reports on the classifications of the landlords and rich peasants, the actual investigation must not be performed by only the few persons of the land investigation committee. The positive elements of the township congress, poor peasants’ league, and labor union must be activated to investigate from all sides, uncover and prove to the masses the many covert exploitations and evil activities of the landlords and rich peasants, and disprove the erroneous reports involving the middle peasants.

3. After the poor peasants’ league has passed on the classifications of the investigated landowners and rich peasants, they must be passed on by the township soviet and approved by the district soviet. During the process, attention must be given to all the interference and resistance of the landlord and rich peasant elements hidden in the poor peasants’ league and the soviet. In regard to them, they must be severely attacked. Meanwhile, attention must be given to the erroneous classification of the middle peasants. Before confiscation, mass meetings must be held in the village and hamlet of the party concerned and the consent of the masses obtained after detailed explanation. In the past, for the sake of convenience, many areas overlooked such procedure at mass meetings and caused the dissatisfaction of the masses, or even serious clan or local disputes. Such error must not be repeated hereafter.

4. In regard to the confiscated property, except cash or its equivalent (such as gold and silver jewelry) which must be surrendered to the finance department, all items must be distributed to the impoverished masses. The erroneous practice of delivering all confiscated property to the government found in many areas in the past must be thoroughly rectified. When distributing property, a larger portion must be given to the masses in the village where it is located, in order to win their satisfaction. The grain confiscated at the time of fall harvesting or not long thereafter may, with the consent of the masses, be temporarily deferred for distribution to the impoverished masses in the following spring and summer. However, when the masses demand distribution, it must be immediately distributed. In regard to the confiscated land, besides reserving the public enterprise field and the Red Army public field, it must all be distributed to those who

have been allocated no, or inadequate, land. The distribution or property and land must be prompt; there must not be a long delay after confiscation. Mass meetings must be held when distributing land and property and lists posted so that everyone will be informed.

5. Winning the backward villages and hamlets, especially the large villages, is the important task of many areas. Therefore, attention must be given the following points: (1) The impoverished masses of the particular village must be activated and its landlords and rich peasants clearly investigated. (2) Many mass meetings to "discuss the classes" must be held. (3) The positive elements must be located and trained promptly, even if there is only one of them; the local peasants must be contacted through them in order to develop the poor peasants’ league and launch the local class struggle. (4) In areas where the situation is especially serious, the reactionary elements blocking the struggle must first be arrested, tried at public trial mass meetings, and, with the approval of the masses, executed by shooting, and the mass struggle immediately launched thereafter. (5) In areas where there have been clan wars, "unity agreements" must be signed at the meetings of representatives of the clan wars which can mutually admit their past errors and agree to replace the clan war with the class struggle. All the foregoing are the necessary methods to win the backward villages and hamlets, especially the large villages. Here, we must oppose the capitulation of the large villages out of fear, the commandist method of severance from the masses, the opportunist laissez-faire toward the reactionary elements, and the clan, border, and local disputes. Only thus will we win over the revolutionary masses of all the backward villages and eliminate the feudal remnants in such villages.

6. The poor peasants’ league is an organization which produces a great effect in the land investigation movement. In some areas where the league is in name only without substance, it must be organized immediately. In areas where it has been organized, its positive elements must be immediately rallied, its backward elements won over, and its class deviationists and other evil elements which have infiltrated it firmly purged. Dissolving and reorganizing the entire league must be avoided as much as possible. Such a commandist method of dissolving the league just because a meeting cannot be convened after one or two attempts is completely incorrect. Superior propaganda and stimulation must be used to attract the positive elements to the meetings. Even when only a minority comes, a meeting must be held, in order to develop the membership. The league must include all the rural workers, masses who are willing to join, and a worker cell must be formed in the league to produce a motivating and leadership effect. The middle peasants must not join the poor peasants’ league, but they may be invited to the meetings as observers, especially when passing on the class classifications. The three-member managers’ committee of the poor peasants’ league must be changed to a five-member committee, a chairman elected among them, and small groups formed below them, consisting of 5 to 15 persons according to their residences. In regard to the poor peasants’ league meetings, when the land investigation movement is tense, a meeting may be held once every few days; after the conclusion of the movement, meetings may be held

according to the regular schedule. Nevertheless, when it comes to frequent meetings, consideration must be given to the feelings of the membership masses, and any coercion is detrimental. Before each meeting, the township soviet chairman must direct the poor peasants’ league committee to make full preparations of the agenda. Unprepared meetings are the worst habit. During the land investigation movement, the district soviet must call a meeting of the poor peasants’ league chairman every 7 or 14 days to discuss such issues as how to make sound the organization of the league and how to lead the struggle. When necessary, a provisional districtwide poor peasants’ league congress may be called.

IV. Reform of the Soviet

1. Reforming the unsound soviet organs in the land investigation movement and turning them into soviets representing the interests of the workers and peasants and possessing full working capacities constitute an important task at the present time.

2. Reforming the local soviet organ includes two aspects: Purging the undesirable elements and attracting the positive revolutionary elements. On purging the undesirable elements, the worker-peasant procurators’ departments of the county and district must shoulder the main responsibility. In regard to the method, with the development of the "class investigation" struggle, a prosecution committee is organized on the township level to embark upon prosecution. The township prosecution committee must include two members of the labor union, five of the poor peasants’ league, two of the women’s congress, one of the youth league light "elders" team, and one from the Young Pioneers. The committee elects two chairmen among themselves and serves directly under the worker-peasant procurators’ department. The target of prosecution consists mainly of the class deviationists infiltrating the township congress and elements which are completely reversed from the worker-peasant interests and have capitulated to or compromised with the landlords and rich peasants. The method of prosecution is as follows: Firstly, the names and crimes of such elements are listed and posted for the opinions of the masses of the entire township. Next, after collecting the opinions of the masses, the committee reaches a conclusion. Thirdly, the conclusion is submitted to the township soviet congress for discussion and for approval of dismissal. Fourthly, after reporting to the district soviet’s worker-peasant procurators’ department and with the approval of the district soviet presidium, the dismissals are announced to the masses of the entire township in the name of the worker-peasant procurators’ department. In the prosecution movement, the shock troops of the worker-peasant procurators’ department, the correspondents, and the accusation box must be put in full action. Those with the most serious crimes must also be tried at mass trials and delivered to the judicial department for handling. According to law. The significance of prosecution by public trial is that, while purging the undesirables in the soviet, the broad masses receive an education so that they will understand the necessity of purging the undesirables from the soviet and supervise and support the soviet. As

a result, no such undesirable elements will continue to be found in the soviet. Prosecutions and public trials must not be expanded to include, as in the past, those who are not very positive or those who have only made minor errors. In regard to such elements, mainly we must win them over by criticism and stimulation. Before a public trial, full propaganda must be made to the masses, explaining the crimes of the culprit, in order to prevent him from deceiving a part of the backward elements and causing trouble at the meeting ground before the trial. In areas where there are clan, house boundary, or village boundary disputes, public trials must not be held lightly. Only when all such unclass struggles are cleared away and the masses find it necessary will a public trial be held.

The prosecution of the undesirables in the district and county soviets must, under the guidance of the worker-peasant procurators’ department of the same level, be performed by means of a prosecution committee organized by representatives elected by the mass organizations and the medium and lower level work comrades (from section chiefs down to clerks) of the same level. The procedure and contents of prosecution are roughly the same as those of the township discussed above. In regard to the soviet prosecution movement launched along with the development of the land investigation movement, the higher level government presidium and worker-peasant procurators’ department must guide the lower level with plans, inspect its work from time to time, promptly correct the errors, and collect the concrete experiences for the education of the lower level government presidiums, worker-peasant procurators’ departments, and their prosecution committees.

3. In regard to attracting the positive elements into the soviet, the township level must first call a voters’ mass meeting to elect the bravest and staunchest elements in the land investigation struggle to the township congress and fill the vacancies of the purged undesirables. Advance preparations must be made for such elections. Several to a dozen or more substitute representatives may be elected, and it is especially necessary in areas where many new positive elements are emerging, in order to gradually replace the backward representatives who are not completely satisfactory. The next point is to absorb a large group of new positive elements into the various committees under the jurisdiction of the township soviet, such as the land construction, forestry, water conservation, and education committees, in order to make such committees truly stabilized and functioning. The third point is to make it possible for the majority of the positive elements in the land investigation struggle to be elected into the township soviet in the general election of the entire soviet area in the fall this year.

On the district level, in the soviets where there are only a few undesirables in the district executive committee, the functions of the purged members may be taken over by the good elements, and the positive elements in the township soviets must be promoted to the district soviet. In individual areas where the undesirables constitute a large portion of the district executive committee, the county soviet must send men to hold a districtwide provisional congress during the land investigation movement and reelect the district soviet.

In regard to the substitute personnel of the county level, there are the methods of replacing the bad with the good in county executive committee and selecting and promoting the good elements in the district and township soviets to work on the county level.

V. Elimination of the Counterrevolution

1. The government organs of all levels and the entire system of the state political security bureau must pay serious attention to all the activities of the counterrevolutionary organizations of the hidden landlords and rich peasants and the individual elements of all areas and fundamentally eliminate them in the land investigation movement. The political security bureaus of the provincial, county, and district levels and the special representatives must especially mobilize all their strengths to perform the work of eliminating the counterrevolution, and the error of overlooking counterrevolutionary activities in many areas in the past must be rectified.

2. Eliminating the counterrevolution in the land investigation movement is mainly by guiding the masses to submit information in conjunction with the class investigation mass struggle, following the thread of the county counterrevolution, and arresting the counterrevolutionary elements. During the period of the land investigation movement, the special representatives of the district security bureau have the authority to make arrests. After partial questioning by the special representatives, the culprits are delivered for trial at the district judicial department. In case of important culprits, mobile courts must be organized in the hsiang and village or-site residences for public trial in the presence of the masses and on-site execution with their approval. This will eliminate the hatred and vigilance against the counterrevolution. The practice of arresting the culprits and delivering them to the county soviet followed in some areas in the past, thereby ignoring the wrath of the masses against the counterrevolution and failing to seize the opportunity to educate the masses to exercise continuous vigilance against the counterrevolution, is undesirable. To attain the goal of eliminating the counterrevolution, the techniques of detection, arrest, trial, and imprisonment must be greatly improved.

VI. Attacking the Landlords and Rich Peasants With Fines and Donations

To fundamentally eliminate all the economic bases of the landlords class and weaken the economic hold of the rich peasants, it is very necessary to attack them by means of imposing fines on the landlords and assessing donations from the rich peasants. In view of the fact that the majority, or the greater majority, of the landlords and rich peasants of many areas in the eight counties have not been uncovered, we should be able to raise 800,000 yuan in the months of July, August, and September. The county and district finance departments must devote their maximum efforts to this matter. The main method is to direct the township soviet to mobilize the farm laborers' unions, poor peasants' leagues, and other mass organizations, which will make surveys of the assets of the landlords and rich peasants,

decide on the suitable amounts of fines or donations, and strongly urge them to pay. Here, the middle peasants must not be involved. As for the rich peasants and landlords, a distinction must be made. In other words, the landlords must be eliminated, while the rich peasants are weakened.

VII. The Relationship Among the Land Investigation Movement, War Mobilization, and Economic and Cultural Construction

1. In the success of the land investigation movement, it is entirely feasible to raise 80,000 Red Army troops in the eight counties. It will not take long either. It is only necessary to launch an extensive and intensive land investigation movement in July, August, and September. When the broadest masses of the eight counties are all activated, it is entirely feasible to mobilize 80,000 new soldiers to the frontline from the eight counties in 6 to 10 months. Therefore, the task hinges entirely on the development and intensification of the land investigation movement. If our effort is not devoted to the land investigation movement, but only to the expansion of the Red Army, then we will not succeed, because it was the fundamental reason for the inadequate endowment of the eight counties in the past when expanding the Red Army. We must have a profound understanding of this point.

2. In the success of the land investigation movement, one of the important tasks at the present time is for the eight counties to generally develop cooperatives, mainly those of consumer goods, grain balancing, necessary production tools (mainly farm tools), and loans to the impoverished masses, in order to resist the cruel exploitation of the broad masses by the speculative merchants and develop the economy of the entire soviet area against the enemy blockade. The great organizational strengths of the soviet and the massive and large sums of capital are needed to wage this battle on the economic front rapidly and extensively. Therefore, a suggestion has been made to the Central Government to issue 3 million yuan of public bonds to be paid in grain, in order to perform the work promptly. The completion of this work likewise hinges on the success of the land investigation movement. If a great effort is not devoted to the land investigation movement and the great majority activated to join the economic construction, it will be impossible to fulfill the task.

3. Fall harvesting and fall cultivation, the two major undertakings, are close at hand. They constitute the fundamental crux of the people's living and the revolutionary war. Therefore, we must, in the land investigation movement, strive for their complete success this year.

4. The extensive development of the culture and education movement also can only be realized in the success of the land investigation movement. In regard to instances such as one club per 1,000 population, one elementary school per 500 population, one night school per 100 population, and the great majority of those 16 years of age and above enrolled in the literacy classes, when the great majority of the masses have become positive, it is not difficult at all to accomplish. Currently, Hsing-kuo has almost generally reached such a standard. It is an excellent example.

VIII. Enemy Attack

In the enemies' fourth "encirclement and suppression" of our central soviet areas, though our courageous Red Army has basically defeated Chiang Kai-shek's main force on the northern front, the enemies are still attacking us. While their disintegration intensifies day by day and they have innumerable other difficulties, they never cease to attack us. Currently, the enemies in Kwangtung have advanced to Hsueh-feng and An-yuan, and those in Fukien still maintain a strong position in Shang-hang, Lien-ch'eng, and Ch'ing-liu. These constitute a great threat to the eight counties and their vicinities. To eliminate fundamentally such enemy forces and expel their remnant troops, besides the courageous Red Army, we must mainly rely on the land mass warfare, and there is still the urgent fighting task of the land investigation movement. In face of the enemies pressing in on us, not only must we not relax on the land investigation movement, but we must double our efforts to deploy it. We must, in this movement, strive to make positive and arm millions of the masses, eliminate the remnant forces of the landlords and rich peasants serving as the enemies' fifth columnists, and build an ironclad soviet. Then, our victory over the enemies will be fully assured.

IX. Supporting the Second All-Soviet Congress With the Success of the Land Investigation Movement

The land investigation movement must be thoroughly completed before the Second All-Soviet Congress on 11 December. Therefore, the work in July, August, and September must be intensified. An inspection mass meeting of the land investigation movement of the eight counties must be held in October. When the Central sends men to the various counties for mobile inspection in August, concrete achievements must be manifested. To hasten the progress of the movement, the eight counties have voluntarily formed land investigation movement competition agreements and are struggling for their full performance.

V. Severely Punishing Those Sabotaging and Resisting the Land Investigation Movement

In the cruel struggle of the land investigation movement, the class deviationists and other most evil elements infiltrating the soviet will inevitably sabotage or resist it. Such elements must be severely punished according to the order of the Central Government on the land investigation movement. At the rally this time, which under the direct leadership of the Central Government, when all those attending the rally unanimously supported the policy of the Central Government on the movement and enthusiastically discussed the work, land department chief Huang Yen-p'an of Ho-kou ch'ü, Hsing-kuo, actually expressed his fundamental opposition to the movement. He was severely criticized and attacked by the small group meeting and the rally. But from beginning to end, he refused to admit his mistake. The rally felt that he took the standpoint of the class enemies to resist the land investigation struggle of the broad masses and completely

desecrated the functions of the soviet. It suggested to the Central Government to dismiss him from his post as land department chief and deliver him to the Ning-hua county soviet to have his activities supervised. Only when such most evil elements are purged will the revolutionary ranks be solidified, the sabotage and resistance of all class enemies overcome, and the great revolutionary task of the land investigation movement completed.

* "RED CHINA," No 89, 29 June 1933
* "Guide to the Land Investigation Movement," published by the Central Government, 1933