Directive on Work in the Jiangsu-Shandong-Henan-Anhui Border Region[1]

(July 22, 1938)

Guo Hongtao, and inform Zhu and Peng, and forward to the Central Party [Zhongdang][2]:

Your telegram of the 6th received today.

1. Regarding Shi Yousan, we should continue to adopt the policy of winning him over, express acceptance of his command, and express assistance to him in unifying the command of the various guerrilla units in southern Shandong, while at the same time requesting that he designate a certain defense area for us to serve as a base area and rear.

2. The provincial committee or the Eighth Route Army detachment should send a responsible representative to have a sincere talk with Shi Yousan once, explaining the hopes the Chinese Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army place in him and our wholehearted assistance to him, and at the same time explaining to him that the policy of annexing the various guerrilla units is incorrect and will inevitably provoke many local frictions. Except for bandit forces colluding with Japan, which should be eliminated, a policy of accommodation and winning over should be adopted toward all anti-Japanese guerrilla units.

3. Strengthen the Party’s organizational work among the middle and lower ranks of Shi’s forces, and at the same time, through the special comrade Zhang Youyu[3], convey your opinions to Shi and <influence> Shi.

4. Please regularly telegraph reports on the situation of friendly forces, political power, and Party organizations in Shandong.

Mao Fu

Yang

[1] This is a telegram directive from Mao Zedong and Hu Fu (Liu Shaoqi) on work in the Jiangsu-Shandong-Henan-Anhui border region to Guo Hongtao and others.

[2] The two characters “Zhongdang” [Central Party] may be erroneous.

[3] Zhang Youyu, then serving as Secretary of the Liaison Bureau of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.