Telegram to Peng Dehuai and Yang Shangkun[1]

(January 9, 1936)

At present, the financial situation, because no taxes of any kind can be collected for the time being and, moreover, because northern Shaanxi is a barren region, has as its sole source the funds raised by the Red Army and guerrilla units in their areas of operation. It is hoped that in the areas of future operations, special efforts will be made to step up supervision, and that fund-raising shall be carried out under the slogan of confiscating the property of traitors and Guomindang traitors to the nation in order to replenish the anti-Japanese funds.

[1] This is the main content of a telegram from Mao Zedong, Bo Gu (Qin Bangxian), Lin Boqu, and Zhou Enlai to Peng Dehuai, commander of the First Front Army of the Red Army, and Yang Shangkun, deputy director of its Political Department.