On the Understanding of the Dissolution of the "National Salvation Association" and the Directive on the Work Policy for Shanghai's National Salvation Movement After Its Dissolution[1]

(October 18, 1937)

Pan, Liu:

A. Whether the past dissolution of the National Salvation Association was appropriate can still be studied. However, the decision to assign the responsible comrades of the National Salvation Association to activities in various areas, to win over the masses, and to organize various lawful mass organizations with a mass following, was correct.

B. The dissolution of the National Salvation Association was undertaken by ourselves for the purpose of advancing our work, and not for the sake of exchanging upper-level positions with the Kuomintang's Anti-Enemy Support Association. This is different from the dissolution of the Xi'an National Salvation Association.

C. At present, the central focus of the Shanghai Party's work is not on restoring the National Salvation Association, which has already been voluntarily dissolved, but on strengthening the mass work of the various national salvation associations and national salvation groups, expanding the mass base of these organizations and their independent and democratic national salvation activities. Use the most concrete facts to expose the errors of the Kuomintang and the Anti-Enemy Support Association's monopolistic policies, so as to achieve the democratic reform of the Support Association.

D. It is imperative to thoroughly change the commandist and monopolistic working methods within the national salvation organizations led by the Party itself. Develop democracy to the fullest extent, absorb countless activists to participate in the work, and give full play to their utmost initiative and creativity.

Luo, Mao

The 18th day

[1] This is a directive from Mao Zedong and Luo Fu (Zhang Wentian) to Pan Hannian and Liu Xiao.