Properly Treat the Friendly Forces Assigned to the Eighth Route Army’s Command[1]

(October 4, 1937)

Zhu, Peng, Ren, and inform Lin, Nie, Luo, He, Xiao, Guan, Liu, Xu, Zhang[2]:

We should adopt an attitude of care and assistance toward the troops the Kuomintang has assigned to our command, not making them undertake the most dangerous tasks or letting them suffer from a lack of supplies and materials. In combat, we should mainly have them fight a few small victorious battles. In mobilizing the masses, we should explain policies and methods to them in detail. We should consult with them more often, show a sense of earnest care and solicitude, and strictly guard against such mistaken attitudes as contempt, neglect, ridicule, indifference, or placing them in dangerous positions. Through the above-mentioned guidelines, we should strive to win them over to unity with the Red Army, so that they sincerely wish to rally around the Red Army. To achieve the above objectives, apart from the higher levels taking responsibility for operational command, the attitudes and methods to be adopted toward them must be taught to all commanders and fighters throughout the army, so that these guidelines can be thoroughly implemented by all.

Mao Zedong

October 4

[1] In early October 1937, in preparation for the Xinkou Campaign, the Second War Zone of the Kuomintang army divided the operational area into three sectors: left, center, and right. To unify the command of the participating troops, Yan Xishan and Zhou Enlai agreed that the right-flank forces, including ten regiments such as the Kuomintang’s 63rd Division and the Independent 3rd Brigade, would be placed under the command of the Eighth Route Army headquarters. This is a telegram from Mao Zedong to Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, and Ren Bishi, Director of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army, concerning the issue of commanding friendly forces.

[2] Lin, Nie, and Luo refer to Lin Biao, Nie Rongzhen, and Luo Ronghuan, who at the time were respectively the division commander, deputy division commander, and director of the Political Training Office of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army. He, Xiao, and Guan refer to He Long, Xiao Ke, and Guan Xiangying, who at the time were respectively the division commander, deputy division commander, and director of the Political Training Office of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army. Liu, Xu, and Zhang refer to Liu Bocheng, Xu Xiangqian, and Zhang Hao (Lin Yuying), who at the time were respectively the division commander, deputy division commander, and director of the Political Training Office of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army.