Unified Command Is Absolutely Necessary[1]

(September 21, 1936)

Comrades Zhu, Zhang, Xu, Chen, Ren, He, Liu, Guan:

All your telegrams have been read.

A. The northward advance deployment of the Fourth Front Army has been set, which is highly beneficial to the overall strategic plan.

B. Unified command is absolutely necessary. We fully agree with the opinion of the four comrades Ren, He, Liu, and Guan[2] to form a six-member Military Commission Presidium[3] to command the three front armies. As Enlai is preparing to go to Nanjing for negotiations, the Military Commission here will have Mao, Peng, and Wang[4] proceed to the front to work together with Comrades Zhu, Zhang, and Chen[5].

C. The location of the Presidium is temporarily best suited near Tongxin City.[1]

Ying, Luo, En, Bo, Jia, Ze

September 21

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[1] Tongxin City was then part of Yuwang County, Ningxia Province. In 1938, Yuwang County was renamed Tongxin County.