Speech at the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee[1]

(September 20, 1935)

The Organization Department should investigate and get to know the cadres, down to the level of company commanders and above. At present, we only understand the senior cadres, but not the middle and lower-ranking ones. To consolidate the troops, we need to understand the cadres; to expand the cadre force, we need to assign cadres; and to struggle against counterrevolutionaries, we need to understand certain tendencies among the cadres. The Organization Department must grasp the situation at the lower levels—this is its main task. Educational work should be incorporated into organizational work. In addition, the Organization Department should also provide assistance in local work.

The term "surplus personnel" is not quite appropriate. For those needed in work, even if they are not included in the authorized strength, they should still be listed. We must admit that in the past, the preferential treatment of cadres has been insufficient. The current cadres are the cream of the crop, and attention should be paid to protecting them.

[1] On September 20, 1935, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee convened in Hadapu, Dangchang County. The first part of this text is an excerpt from Mao Zedong's speech on issues concerning the work of the Organization Department; the second part is an excerpt from Mao Zedong's speech on issues concerning organizational structure.