—()— Owing to a combination of favorable conditions and the strenuous efforts of your leadership and comrades, the anti-Japanese movement throughout the vast Jin-Cha-Ji region has made considerable progress in all respects. The establishment of the base area is broadly speaking complete, yet it remains unstable on every front. At present, your central task is to consolidate the gains already achieved in all spheres and, building upon this consolidated foundation, to continue advancing.

()— Your victories and developments pose a grave threat to the Japanese invaders’ principal base—the Peiping–Tientsin area—and they will undoubtedly resort to every possible means to attack and undermine you. In addition to brutal military offensives, they will certainly seek to infiltrate, through recruitment and bribery, large numbers of traitors, thugs, and bandits into party, government, military, and mass organizations, particularly within the military, where these agents will engage in insidious sabotage. The assassination of a leading member of the Ludo Party Committee, together with various unprincipled disputes within the Party and the army, almost certainly involve enemy intrigue; this should be met with the gravest concern.

(III) In order to rapidly consolidate your forces so as to facilitate further, more extensive development, we propose the following:

1. Purge the troops of undesirable elements such as thugs and bandits; thoroughly vet and unite cadres at all levels; and establish, in a careful and practical manner, an effective security apparatus for the armed forces.

2. Root out banditry within the base area; adopt prudent and effective measures to transform those anti-Japanese units operating along bandit-like lines; intensify local counter-espionage and counter-sabotage work; and restore and establish a sound anti-Japanese order. In addition to dispatching personnel to Ludo to rectify Party affairs, one comrade should immediately be sent from among XXXXXXXX to serve as Political Commissar of the Lv Unit in Ludo, concurrently holding the post of Military Chief of the Provincial Party Committee, or alternatively establishing a Military Sub-District Command in Ludo to effectively reorganize the Lv and Meng Units. Once the Lv and Meng Units have been properly reorganized, a portion of their forces may be detached to advance with Deng Hua’s unit toward Eastern Hebei and the Jehol border region.

Consolidate the Party organization and ensure unity and solidarity within the ranks, while enforcing iron discipline. At present, any act that undermines the Party’s unity and cohesion constitutes the greatest assistance to the enemy. Strictly criticize and correct all activities by small factions; strengthen education on Party principles; and enhance the prestige of the Party and its leading cadres among the masses.

5. In the mass movement, rectify certain overzealous actions and guild-like tendencies, and gradually alleviate the fear and opposition of landlords and wealthy households toward us. However, the primary focus must remain on igniting a vigorous upsurge of popular resistance, establishing truly powerful mass organizations, and carrying out concrete organizational work.

6. There is no need for further changes in the structure of the government. The main tasks, apart from broadly organizing and training the self-defense militia, are to secure funding and food supplies to sustain the troops. As for fundraising, in addition to regular taxes and donations, particular attention should be paid to raising funds from collaborators. Special teams could be organized to go to railway stations and areas near urban centers to confiscate property from and arrest collaborators. We are unable to provide substantial financial assistance to you at this time. (To be continued)