Address at the Evening Meeting
Commemorating “March 18th”
(March 18, 1939)

. . . “March 18th”—a magnificent and heroic day dyed in blood! Shortly after six o’clock, the Shaangong Auditorium was packed with people as usual, both inside and outside. . . . The program of the meeting began in a solemn atmosphere. . . . Waving his hand as if to sweep away all the traitors to the nation, Comrade Mao Zedong said:

If we want to eliminate the enemy we must wage two kinds of war: One is an overt war, and the other is a covert war. The covert war consists of both strategic offensives, striking deep within the enemy’s heart, and strategic defense to protect ourselves. To defeat the enemy it is necessary to attack from both within and without, so both are of equally great significance. . . . [We] demand that every security staff member recognize the importance and honor of this task, and we hope that each and every security staff member has stamina and perseveres until the victory of the War of Resistance and until the final victory of Communism.

The audience responded with prolonged applause.

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong ji. Bujuan, Vol. 6, p. 31, where it is reproduced from
Xin Zhonghua bao, March 22, 1939.