(December 14, 1938)

Mr. Lingde:

I have received both your letters. This reply was delayed by the convening of the
Sixth Plenum; I would like to convey my apologies for this. I did, however, instruct Comrade Gao Gang² some time ago to order that the organ involved release
Mr. Yuan Chenying,³ and I expect that you have already received word of this.
Not only did I not know about this matter, but Gao Gang and [Cheng] Fangwu⁴
did not know either. I deeply apologize for the way that the organ involved handled
this so hastily based on material from northwestern Shanxi. If in the future you
learn of any shortcomings on our part, I entreat you to inform us, so that we may
make improvements; I earnestly pray you will do so. This reply is made with
respectful salutations.

Part IIA: Lectures

Submitted by Mao Zedong

Our source for this text is *Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji*, pp. 134–35, where it is reproduced
from the manuscript.

1. Yang Lingde (1905– ) was a native of Inner Mongolia. He was then a reporter for
*Dagongbao* stationed at Yulin, Shaanxi Province.
2. Gao Gang (1905–1954) was at this time in charge of the Chinese Communist Party’s
Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Committee.
3. Yuan Chenying, Yang Lingde’s nephew, went to study at the Northern Shaanxi Public
School at the beginning of 1938. He was wrongly arrested that year, but was soon released.

4. Regarding Cheng, see, above, the relevant note to the text of April 1, 1938.