—Proclamation No. 116 of the Provisional Central Government—August 28, 1933

In order to develop production, promote cooperative societies, regulate grain distribution, and expand import–export trade so as to break the enemy’s blockade, curb the exploitation by merchants, further improve the living standards of the working and peasant masses, and secure adequate material supplies for the revolutionary war, the Central Government has specially decided, in response to the requests of the Congress of Poor Peasants’ Unions and local governments at all levels, to issue economic construction bonds totaling three million yuan. It has also adopted the Regulations on Economic Construction Bonds to provide a legal guarantee for these bonds. However, the issuance of these bonds depends entirely on the revolutionary enthusiasm of the workers and peasants; they must be purchased voluntarily and spontaneously by the masses, and under no circumstances may there be any compulsory quotas or forced levies. Governments at all levels, particularly the city Soviets, district Soviets, and township Soviets, must convene meetings of local mass organizations to explain the matter clearly. Township Soviets are required to address their own delegates at their representative assemblies and ensure that each delegate fully understands the situation. Through the mass organizations and the township delegates, meetings of the masses should then be called in every village and hamlet to explain to every worker and peasant comrade the significance of issuing these bonds. When the masses purchase the bonds, whether they buy much or little is entirely a matter of their own free will; any practice of averaging the burden among them is absolutely unacceptable. Apart from encouraging the widest possible participation by workers and peasants, other residents of the Soviet areas may also purchase the bonds without restriction. All the people of our Soviet areas should, in the interest of their own welfare and for the victory of the revolutionary war, unite in purchasing and supporting these bonds, and assist the government in their sale, so that the bonds can be fully subscribed within a short period and the goal of developing the national economy can be swiftly achieved. Should any counterrevolutionary elements spread false rumors, create disturbances, undermine confidence in the bonds, or obstruct their issuance, the workers and peasants, under the leadership of the government, shall take revolutionary measures to suppress such counterrevolutionaries and thereby ensure the smooth progress of the work of economic construction.

This is hereby proclaimed.  Attached: Regulations on Economic Construction Bonds [omitted; see Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Third Edition, Volume III, page 110].

Chairman Mao Zedong  Vice Chairmen Xiang Ying and Zhang Guotao  August 18, 1933 — Chen Chengwen