To Take Minzhou Would Bring
Great Strategic Advantages
(August 13, 1936)
Comrades Zhu [De], Zhang [Guotao], and Ren [Bishi]:
If it is possible to take the town of Minzhou, this would be extremely advantageous for fighting Ma [Bufang], Mao [Bingwen], and Wang [Jun], and seizing
the upper hand strategically. If by any chance it is not possible to take the town,
then it should be kept under siege to fight the [enemy's] relief forces. Just now,
Mao Bingwen is sending a unit from western Gansu as reinforcements, and this
is a good opportunity to wipe them out. Commander-in-Chief Zhu should hasten
to send someone to meet Wang Jun and Zeng Wanzhong;¹ they are isolated and
in danger, so it would not be difficult to have an impact. It would also be
appropriate to send someone to Lu Dachang² in town, and permit him to escape
in the direction of Lintan. What is your opinion? It is hoped that you will
consider this matter.
Mao [Zedong] Zhou [Enlai] Peng [Dehuai]
1. Zeng Wanzhong (1894-1968), a native of Yunnan, was commander of the Seventh
Division of the Third Guomindang Army under the Northwest "Bandit Suppression"
Headquarters.
2. Lu Dachang was commander of the Guomindang's newly organized Fourteenth
Division under the Northwest "Bandit Suppression" General Headquarters.


Letter to Song Zheyuan¹
(August 14, 1936)
For your inspection, honorable Mr. Chairman Mingxuan:
Since Mr. Liu Ziqing's arrival, we have learned that you, sir, are eager to resist
Japan. I can scarcely express my admiration for this. Long ago, when the Japanese bandits first invaded our land, you made every effort to defend the borders
and fervently fend off humiliation. As a result, your renown as a righteous man
has resounded both in China and abroad. Moreover, today as the Japanese bandits have continued to advance, attacking simultaneously on the military, political, and economic fronts, you stand alone maintaining your position, refusing to
give up under the siege of the powerful bandits and Chinese traitors. Nor have
you continued last winter's policy concerning the North China mass movement.²
You have, after all, firmly established the resolve to resist Japan—on the one
hand, to engage in forceful preparations to unite the people of North China, on
the other, to renew the policy of uniting with Russia and uniting with the Communists once carried out by the Northwestern Army during the glorious period of
1925–1927—while waiting for the opportune time to launch a large-scale war of
resistance against Japan. Then, not only will the Soviet Red Army support you,
sir, and the Twenty-ninth Army with all its might; the popular masses of the
whole country as well as all the anti-Japanese forces will support you, sir, and
your honorable army as true anti-Japanese heroes. At present, the Japanese bandits have eager designs on Suiyuan, Prince De³ is ready to make trouble any
time, and perhaps it will not be too long before the second Mongolian puppet
régime appears. The proportion of Chinese traitors on the Hebei-Chahar Political
Council is also increasing. All this is steadily closing in on you, sir. And yet,
Our source for this text is Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji, pp. 40-42, where it is reproduced
1. Song Zheyuan (1885–1940), zi Mingxuan, a native of Shandong, had served from
1925 to 1929 in Feng Yuxiang's army. In the 1930s, he held various important political
and military posts in North China under the Nanjing government. At this time, he was
chairman of the Guomindang's Hebei-Chahar Political Council and commander of the
Guomindang's Twenty-ninth Army.
2. The reference is to policies aimed at curbing anti-Japanese activity by the masses
of North China, which Mao had repeatedly accused Chiang Kaishek of following in order
to ingratiate himself with the Japanese.
3. On Prince De (De Wang), commonly known in English as Demchukdonggrub
(1902–1966), see above, the note to the order of February 18, 1936. He had earlier been a
commissioner of the Chahar provincial government under Song Zheyuan.




reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.


Our source for this telegram is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 570-71, where it is
from a copy in the Central Archives.