FOREWORD NO. 1 TO 'RURAL INVESTIGATION'
6 October 1937

[Text] Of all the materials I personally collected from the rural areas
during the period from the Northern Expedition in 1927 to my departure
from the Central Soviet Region in 1934, only the following are left:
(1) the Hsun-wu Investigation; (2) the Hsing-kuo Investigation; (3) the
Investigation of Tung-t'ang and Other Places; (4) the Mu-k'ou Tsun
Investigation; (5) the Land Distribution in Southwestern Kiangsi; (6) the
Problem of Land Rental with Unharvested Crops (7) the Mistakes in Land
Struggle in Kiangsi; (8) the Rich Peasant Problem After Land Distribution
in Yung-hsin; (9) the Two Initial Stage Land Laws (10) the Chang-kang
Hsiang Investigation; and (11) the Ts'ai-ch'i Hsiang Investigation. The
last two had been published in "Struggle News" in the Central Soviet
Region. The original manuscript of the other nine investigations, which
survived the long march, are preserved. All the other materials were
lost. The most regrettable loss is the Five Hsien (Changsha, Hsiangtan,
Hsianghsiang, Hengshan and Liling) Investigation, done in Hunan in the
spring of 1927. It was lost because of the Hsu K'o-hsiang rebellion.
The Ningkang and Yunghsin investigations made in the spring of 1928 at
the Chingkang mountains were lost because of the fall of the Chingkang
mountains. The materials preserved here were all from the Central Soviet
Region. The first nine parts reflected land distribution at its early
stage. The last two parts reflected land distribution as it was thoroughly
implemented. Incomplete as they are one can get a general idea from these
materials. This is a kind of historical material in which some of the
viewpoints were my opinions at that time and which I have subsequently
changed.

6 October 1937
Yenan