Placed on North China; Development
Should Stress Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui,
Henan, and Hubei
(March 19, 1939)

Comrade [Peng] Dehuai, and for the information of Zhu [De] and Yang [Shangkun]:

I have taken note of your telegram, and my reply is as follows:
1. It is quite correct to expand the army to the fullest extent possible. As for
laying the emphasis in consolidation upon North China, I have read all your plans,
and they are all correct. Development, on the other hand, should stress the five
provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, and Hubei, and for the moment
please pay special attention to the province of Shandong. In this province we already have a foundation, but we lack a leadership backbone, so when the enemy's
new offensive begins, please think about solving this problem of a leadership backbone. Northern Jiangsu should also be developed by southern Shandong. As for
the development of the three provinces of Anhui, Henan, and Hubei, Henan in
particular is the pivotal region in the whole country's protracted War of Resistance, and although it is not possible at present to achieve large-scale development, the greatest efforts should be made to prepare for it.
2. In the future for a certain period of time, cadres from Yan'an should be used
mainly in Central China, and preparations should be made to use some in the
northwest, some in the south, and some in the northeast. As for North China, the
main thing is to provide teachers and teaching materials.
3. It may be possible to ask our friends for help in finding personnel for the
munitions factory, but it is necessary to wait and see how the negotiations go. I am
afraid this may not be dependable, and we should mainly rely upon searching
within the country.
4. A production campaign is now being developed in the Border Region so that
it will be possible to be self-reliant and self-sufficient when times are most difficult.

--- Notes

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong wenji, Vol. 2, pp. 173-75, where it is reproduced
from a copy in the Central Archives.