Telegram to the Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army and Various Divisions
(June 12, 1938)
The Nationalist Party’s Supervisory Committee has taken the step of restoring the party membership of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and others. This move indicates that, at a time when Xuzhou had fallen and Wuhan was in crisis, the Nationalist Party is further uniting with our Party to persist in the War of Resistance Against Japan. There is a possibility that, in the future, they may revert to the methods employed in the thirteenth year [of the Republic]. However, this decision by the Supervisory Committee still requires approval from the Executive Committee and must first seek our opinion.

[1] On June 3, 1938, the fourteenth standing committee meeting of the Nationalist Party’s Central Supervisory Committee passed a resolution to restore the party membership of 26 individuals, including Chen Duxiu, as well as seven other prominent figures: Zhou Enlai, Lin Boqu, Wu Yuzhang, Mao Zedong, Dong Biwu, Deng Yingchao, and Ye Jianying. This was the main content of a telegram sent by Mao Zedong and Tan Zheng to the Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army and its various divisions, the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region, and the New Fourth Army Headquarters, in which they provided an explanation regarding the restoration of Nationalist Party membership.

[2] Refers to the First United Front between the KMT and the CPC established in 1924, which had a common political program and a clearly defined organizational structure.

Conversation with Zhu Shuchu
(June 14, 1938)
[1]

Politics is the most fundamental and crucial aspect. The large-scale development of mass education can only be achieved through politics that serves the common people; all other methods are secondary. The core issue in politics lies in one’s attitude toward the people: do you wish to befriend them, or do you intend to stand above them and oppress them? As long as you draw close to the masses and become one with them, they will naturally place their trust in you.

The character of peasants has two sides. One is dark—selfishness, ignorance, and stubborn adherence to tradition—exemplified by Lu Xun’s “The True Story of Ah Q,” which focuses precisely on this darker side. The other is bright—such as a sense of justice, courage, and willingness to make sacrifices. Throughout their lives, peasants possess these contradictory traits. The role of politics is to awaken and mobilize their positive, luminous qualities, gradually overcoming their darker tendencies, thereby realizing democratic governance. What we are currently practicing in the border region is precisely this kind of democratic politics. During the War of Resistance, we have successfully mobilized the enthusiasm of the broad peasant masses. With such support, why should we worry about a lack of soldiers going to the front lines or about insufficient funds for the war?

[1] On the evening of June 14, 1938, Mao Zedong met with Zhu Shuchu, who had been dispatched by the Mass Education Association to visit Yan’an. This passage represents part of Mao’s remarks when he shifted from discussing mass education work to addressing political issues; the second section consists of his comments on the peasantry.