(August 13, 1939)

(Special report to this newspaper): . . . Comrades Mao Zedong, Wang Ming, Kang Sheng,
Deng Fa, and Zhang Dingcheng quietly entered the conference room from a door on the left
side immediately after the Conference approved the circular telegram. The whole audience
stood up and welcomed them with enthusiastic and prolonged applause.
After a short interval, Comrade Mao Zedong strode up to the platform with joyful countenance. The applause broke out once again like spring thunder. Comrade Mao Zedong
tried several times to begin speaking, but each time he was stopped by this overwhelming
sound.

We are very happy because comrades are meeting here with great enthusiasm. We
did not ask you comrades about the purpose of your conference, but we already
know it. In this China of ours, there are two types of meetings. One type aims to
thwart China's freedom and independence; such meetings are held by Chinese
traitors and diehards. Another type demands China's freedom and independence.
The meetings of the Communist Party and anti-Japanese elements all demand freedom and independence for China. . . . It is impossible to overthrow Japanese imperialism and win final victory without democracy. Which is better for the country—to
perish or not to perish? We say that it is better for the country not to perish. But
there should be democracy. Without democracy, the country will definitely perish. What is democracy? Democracy is the right freely to take any road. This
condition in itself is sufficient. With this right, we can go anywhere we like. We
may go to fight the fascists, the Chinese traitors, and the Trotskyites. So we must
definitely have these two characters.1
Sun Yatsen has an ism called people's rights.2 But now there are some people
who have forgotten it, but nevertheless insist that they are faithful disciples of Sun
Yatsen. It is not enough for them merely to be disciples, they must be faithful ones
too,. . .

Each sentence and each word moved the heart of every comrade. His voice is as firm as an
iron hammer, striking powerful blows against those diehards who oppose democracy, oppose people's rights, and oppose young people.
Another round of enthusiastic applause breaks out. Comrade Mao Zedong, surrounded
by several thousand pairs of eyes, concludes his speech concisely and to the point.

This speech was first published in Xin Zhonghua bao, August 18, 1939. We have translated
it from Mao Zedong ji. Bujuan, Vol. 6, pp. 95-96, where it is reproduced from that source.
1. I.e., the two characters minzhu, forming the Chinese term for democracy.
2. Minquan, Sun's term for democracy, often used by Mao in this sense in the 1920s,
and during the war against Japan.