Speech at an Evening Welcome Party for the
Northern Route Comfort Corps of the
National Comfort Corps of China
(September 9, 1939)

(Written specially for this newspaper)... The humming of the vehicles was heard coming
from outside the windows. All of a sudden, the singing was interrupted, and a solemn
silence prevailed in the whole hall. First, Mr. Zhang Ji¹ and Mr. He Zhonghan,² guided by
Comrade Mao Zedong, entered the hall. All those present stood up at once, and thunderous
applause arose. After the other guests had come in one after another and taken their seats,
formal opening of the party was proclaimed. Comrade Mao Zedong went up to the rostrum
amid an enthusiastic ovation and delivered an address of welcome.

Comrades:

Today we are very happy and very sincere in holding this evening party and in
welcoming the many comrades who have come to visit Yan'an. First of all, on
behalf of all the comrades present, I salute Chairman Lin of the National Government³ (the audience stands and applauds) and Chairman Chiang, the leader of the
nation (the audience stands and applauds)....

It has been two years now since we united to resist Japan, and this circumstance
has done away with the stagnation of two years ago. At that time, there was no

This report was first published in *Xin Zhonghua bao*, September 15, 1939. Our source is
*Mao Zedong ji. Bujuan*, Vol. 6, pp. 101-3, where this version is reproduced.
1. Zhang Ji (1882-1947), *zi* Puquan, a native of Zhili, was a charter member of Sun
Yatsen's Tongmenghui, and in the early 1920s he was active in the affairs of the Guomindang.
After a brief eclipse because he had supported the anti-Communist Western Hills group in
1925, he soon returned to a leading role in the affairs of the Nanjing government. In 1939,
he was head of the Central Comfort Corps and frequently visited military units in the field.
2. He Zhonghan (1899-1972), a native of Hunan, had studied in the Soviet Union in
1921 and attended the Baku Congress of the Peoples of the East. After graduating from the
Huangpu Military Academy in 1924, he went once again to the Soviet Union in 1925 and
entered the Frunze Military Academy. In 1928, he went to Japan for further military and
political studies. Returning to China in 1931, he became a member of the Guomindang
Central Executive Committee and occupied various important posts in the field of political
training in the army. At this time, he was head of the Comfort Corps in the Northwest.
3. The reference is to Lin Sen; see above, the relevant note to "The Reactionaries Must
Be Punished," August 1, 1939.

War of Resistance, and no unity. Now unity and the War of Resistance have come
into existence, and this is a new phenomenon, a new scene. We are very much
gratified that this new scene has already entered its third year. During the past two
years of the War of Resistance, there have, however, been some minor clashes and
some minor friction between the Guomindang and the Communist Party. As a
result, the comrades of these two parties are anxious and solicitous about the problem of relations between the parties. This is truly a problem that has attracted
everybody's attention. Not only the comrades within the two parties, but also ordinary people in society, are very concerned, and are awaiting a satisfactory answer
to this problem. In fact, this matter is not all that difficult to comprehend. Everyone should be aware that the Three People's Principles are the political foundation
of the Anti-Japanese National United Front and that the Guomindang and the Communist Party are its organizational foundation. The united front is a large union,
which embraces all parties and factions, all circles and armies, all individuals—
everyone, with the exception of Chinese traitors. Naturally, the Communist Party
recognizes that, of the two parties, the Guomindang is the primary great party.
Although, in addition to these two parties, there are various other parties and factions, various circles and armies, the fact remains that the Guomindang and the
Communist Party constitute the foundation. If these parties were not united, the
united front would be out of the question. That is why we say that the Guomindang
and the Communist Party are the organizational foundation of the united front.
During the past two years of the War of Resistance, the unity of the two parties has
been the central issue. The problem today is a problem which arises after two
years of the War of Resistance, but there has been, and should be, no change in our
basic orientation, which is summed up in the word "unity." Unity is the basic
orientation. Unity should be achieved on the basis of progress.

Recently, there has been some friction between the two parties in some places
and among certain members. Such a phenomenon is not a good thing; but, as
everyone knows, looking at the overall situation, the entire country is under the
leadership of Chairman Chiang, and the people of all walks of life are concerned
about one another, and urge one another on, so our unity in the War of Resistance
can be relied on. We must definitely unite, no matter what happens; we have no
orientation other than unity. . . .

Because the enemy is "opposing Chiang," we, the people of the whole nation,
must rise in support of Chairman Chiang (all those present applaud). Because the
enemy wants to overthrow the National Government, we, the people of the whole
country, must support the National Government (all those present applaud); because the enemy and Chinese traitors such as Wang Jingwei are trying to wreck the
cooperation between the Guomindang and the Communist Party, we, the people of
the whole country, should support the cooperation between the Guomindang and
the Communist Party (all those present applaud); because the enemy wants to smash
the Anti-Japanese National United Front, we, the people of the whole country,
should support the Anti-Japanese National United Front (all those present applaud);


because the enemy wishes to see internal conflict among us, we must not fight a
civil war (all those present applaud). We should do things that will gladden those
close to us and sadden the enemy, and do nothing that might hurt those close to us
and please the enemy. We must stick to our own stand and never confuse it with the
enemy's slogans. Our slogan is opposition to the enemy on all points, absolutely
without the slightest confusion with the enemy. Any slogan that is identical with a
slogan of the enemy is a pretext for fawning on and capitulating to the enemy; any
statement like those of the enemy is a hackneyed tune that helps the enemy and
boosts the enemy's arrogance. Anyone who wants to take over the enemy's slogans
and, at the same time, talks about fighting the enemy is uttering nothing but deceitful words, which will be cruelly exposed by an implacable history.
Today, only by uniting the whole country, supporting Chairman Chiang, supporting the National Government, supporting the cooperation between the
Guomindang and the Communist Party, and supporting the Anti-Japanese National
United Front, resolutely persisting in the War of Resistance and opposing capitulation, persisting in unity and opposing dissension, persisting in progress and opposing retrogression, can we defeat Japanese imperialism and drive it out of the
country. Only thus can an independent and free new China emerge.
Today we welcome our revolutionary elder, Mr. Zhang Puquan. He belongs to
the older generation of the revolution and has made tremendous contributions to
the cause of unity in the War of Resistance. So today we invite this venerable
gentleman to give us instruction. We also welcome all the comrades in the Comfort Corps and ask for their instruction.

(All those present applauded and shouted: "Welcome to the Central Comfort Corps!" "Welcome to the Central Political Work Delegation!" "Support the National Government!" "Support Chairman Chiang and persist to the end in the War of Resistance!" "Support the cooperation between the Guomindang and the Communist Party!" "Support the Anti-Japanese
National United Front!" "Long live the liberation of the Chinese nation!"
The Communist Political Councilors Contribute
in Support of the Hong Kong Workers
Who Are Opposing Wang

(September 12, 1939)