To Zhang Xueliang and All Officers and Soldiers of the Northeast Army, Transmitted via Comrade Wang Yizhe:

The traitorous Yan Xishan has colluded with Japanese imperialism to invade North China, endangering Jin and Sui, and, further acting under Japanese imperialist direction, has dispatched six brigades of troops to massacre the people in the Soviet areas of northern Shaanxi. The people of the nation are outraged and indignant; his crimes are unpardonable even by death. In view of the urgency of Japanese imperialism’s advance into North China, our army has specially dispatched the Anti-Japanese Vanguard Army to cross the Yellow River eastward to resist the brutal Japanese. Yan Xishan, however, has chosen to serve the brutal Japanese with all his might, concentrating his forces to obstruct the Red Army. In recent days, successive reports have been received from the front. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Red Army soldiers and the sympathy of the Shanxi army soldiers and the people of Shanxi, a total of nineteen regiments from the forces of Yang Yuefang, Li Shengda, Yang Chengyuan, and Yang Xiao’ou have been successively wiped out or routed. Our vanguard has already reached the line of Wenshui, Jiaocheng, Jiexiu, Lingshi, Huo County, Zhao County, Hongdong, and Linfen, and has occupied the Tongpu Railway and the Fenyang motor road. Our army has repeatedly declared that all Red armies and White armies across the nation must urgently cease the civil war and unite to resist Japan. Yet Yan Xishan turns a deaf ear, disregarding the survival of the nation and the state, willingly clinging to the enemy and opposing his compatriots. Truly, one cannot fathom his intentions. You, gentlemen, deeply understand the great cause of righteousness and have long shared the resolve to resist Japan and save the nation. We request that you speak out in the name of justice, condemn Yan Xishan for the crime of betraying the nation, and urge him to repent immediately, withdraw his troops obstructing the Red Army, and march them to Zhangjiakou to carry out anti-Japanese tasks together with the Red Army. Our army, upholding the great cause of the nation, will absolutely not pursue his past actions. If he is willing to betray the nation and continue to carry out the task of a Japanese obstruction force, then our army, in order to achieve the goal of resisting Japan, will have no choice but to first eliminate this traitor.

As for the Shaanxi-Gansu Soviet Area (including the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Area and the Guanzhong Area), it serves as the rear area for the War of Resistance Against Japan. To resolutely consolidate this rear area so that our anti-Japanese officers and soldiers can fight the enemy with peace of mind should not be the sole responsibility of the Red Army and the anti-Japanese people of the entire Soviet area. You, gentlemen, whose territories are adjacent, naturally also harbor a heart of care and maintenance. Should there be any who seek to disrupt this anti-Japanese rear area (such as Mao Bingwen and his ilk), we hope that you, gentlemen, will join with our army to stop them. This is hereby communicated, and we earnestly request your wise consideration.

Younger Brothers Peng Dehuai, Mao Zedong

Morning of March 20