We must defeat Japanese imperialism. The Communist Party, the Red Army, and the Shaanxi–Gansu–Ningxia Border Region bear this responsibility. We must awaken all the people and all political parties across the country to implement the Ten Major Points for National Salvation Against Japan proposed by the Communist Party, in order to reverse the dire situation and vanquish the Japanese aggressors. Every Communist Party member and every progressive individual should unite, refuse to yield to any hardship, make thorough preparations, and ultimately crush Japanese imperialism. The young people who joined the revolutionary ranks on October 23, bringing fresh blood and vigor—whether they are Party members or not—are truly commendable. Without them, the revolutionary ranks could not expand, nor could the revolution succeed. However, a natural shortcoming among youth is their lack of experience; such experience can only be gained through direct participation in revolutionary struggle, starting from the most grassroots levels, working earnestly and without pretense. After several years of this kind of practical engagement, even those who once had no experience will have acquired it.

Comrades! You have asked me to discuss the current situation. Taking advantage of your commencement of studies, I shall address this issue, which is closely related to you. For those who study and those who educate do so with a single purpose: to avert the crisis facing our nation and society. ■ The present situation is extremely tense. Shanghai’s first line of defense has fallen, and enemy forces in eastern Shanxi have broken through Niangziguan Pass, intending to link up with their counterparts in northern Shanxi and advance toward Taiyuan. Two pressing questions now confront us: (1) Should we continue fighting, or should we cease? (2) If we continue, how should we fight? Our military position is clearly unfavorable. This stems from the fact that our previous resistance was one-sided rather than comprehensive. Some outside observers claim that we are now engaged in a full-scale war, but this is incorrect. While geographically the conflict may seem widespread, in terms of composition it remains limited to certain sectors. Vast segments of the population have yet to be mobilized into the struggle; only the army and the government have been actively involved, which is why we have suffered numerous defeats. Under these circumstances, a new danger is emerging: collaborators and pro-Japanese elements are seizing the opportunity to resurface, peddling slogans such as “war is bound to fail” and “only weapons matter.” They invariably argue that China cannot prevail and that surrender is its only option. National capitulationism represents a grave and novel threat today.

We must recognize that our past resistance has yielded undeniable achievements. What are these achievements? (1) Our war is unprecedented in a century; its character is revolutionary. (2) During the war, domestic unity within China has markedly improved. (3) Militarily, although we have endured many setbacks, we have inflicted significant damage upon the Japanese invaders. (4) We have garnered international sympathy. (5) Most importantly, the war has imparted a profound lesson: a one-sided struggle cannot lead to victory. We must never succumb to pessimism over the current situation. We fully endorse General Chiang Kai-shek’s speech of October 9, which calls for resolute, unyielding combat—to fight until the very last man still clutches his rifle. This is precisely what the Communist Party means when it declares, “We will shed our last drop of blood to defend the motherland.” Such resolve constitutes the fundamental guiding principle for addressing the present crisis. We must resume fighting, but how? On the military front, we should emulate the Eighth Route Army’s tactics: engage in dynamic, flexible operations rather than static, rigid ones. In the past, we have largely been on the defensive, merely absorbing enemy attacks; we must now fundamentally change our approach. When we strike back at the enemy, the paramount task is to implement the Communist Party’s Ten Major Points for National Salvation Against Japan, mobilizing four hundred fifty million Chinese people to join the resistance, organizing them, and arming them. This represents an unparalleled source of strength, and only with such a force can China achieve final victory. Across the nation, we must emulate the Eighth Route Army by genuinely achieving unity between the military and the civilian population, as well as among officers and soldiers. By reforming the army’s spirit and intensifying political work within its ranks, we can accomplish this goal. Only in this way can we reverse the current grave situation. This is the correct method for implementing the policy of resuming the fight. With both the policy and the appropriate methods in place, we can surely defeat Japanese imperialism.

We need to cultivate a large cadre of national revolutionary leaders—men and women endowed with revolutionary theory, a spirit of self-sacrifice, and a vanguard role in the movement. It is solely through the dedication of tens of thousands of outstanding cadres that we can carry out a comprehensive, nationwide revolutionary war, bring about genuine change in China, and ultimately vanquish the enemy.