Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Directive on the Attitude Toward Former Fourth Front Army Cadres

(July 2, 1942)

1. The overwhelming majority of former Fourth Front Army cadres are of worker and peasant origin, gradually promoted from lower-level work. During the civil war, they demonstrated steadfastness and loyalty to the revolution and the Party; after overcoming the Guotao line, they unanimously supported the Party Central Committee; in the national war, they have also shown their heroism and loyalty. Only a very small number of cadres surrendered to the enemy, but this is not surprising—among former First and Second Front Army cadres, there were also a very small number who defected to the enemy.

2. During the period when the Guotao line held sway, the former Fourth Front Army cadres obeyed and implemented the Guotao line. However, a distinction must be drawn between mere followers of the Guotao line and active accomplices. Only a few individuals played an active accomplice role in the development of the Guotao line. The overwhelming majority, owing to their cultural and political level, to Guotao’s policy of keeping the masses ignorant and his policy of coercion and intimidation, to the principle of centralization in the army, and for other reasons, obeyed and implemented the Guotao line. The practice of the five years of the War of Resistance has tested the former Fourth Front Army cadres and shown that they are in essence honest and resolute, proving that the conclusion reached by the Central Committee in 1937 when opposing the Guotao line was entirely correct. The few individuals referred to here as having played an active accomplice role do not include Comrades Xu Xiangqian, Li Xiannian, and others, who did not play such a role during the period of the Guotao line. Even with regard to those few comrades who did play an active accomplice role in the Guotao line, the Central Committee’s policy is to win them over and educate them, to make them awaken and change, not to cast them aside. This policy has already yielded results.

3. Trust in and work assignments for former Fourth Front Army cadres shall be on an equal footing with other cadres. There must be no discrimination against them because they previously implemented the Guotao line. Appropriate work shall be assigned to these cadres on the basis of each individual’s moral integrity (loyalty to the Party), ability (work capability), and seniority and prestige. Where original work assignments are inappropriate, measures shall be taken to change them. Of particular importance is helping them raise their cultural, political, and military level.

4. If former Fourth Front Army cadres achieve successes in their present work, they shall be commended. If they commit errors (any cadre may commit errors), the nature and degree of the errors shall be pointed out and help given to correct them. It is wrong either to fail to point out errors or to exaggerate them. There should be frank and sincere mutual relations; any attitude of estrangement, coldness, or discrimination must not exist. Another point to note is that when former Fourth Front Army cadres commit errors, one must never rashly pin on them such big labels as “continuation of the Guotao line” or “remnants of the Guotao line,” because this does not accord with the facts, is extremely harmful to the unity of cadres, and in fact helps the enemy to sow discord in our internal relations.

5. Former Fourth Front Army cadres shall continue to trust in the correctness of the cadre policy of the Central Committee and the Military Commission, act boldly, and not be timid or hesitant. Whenever they have opinions on work, they shall frankly and straightforwardly present them at any time to the leading military and Party authorities in their locality. Of particular importance is intensifying their own cultural, political, and military studies and raising their own understanding of the Party and their work capability.

6. Ten years of civil war and five years of the War of Resistance have already proved that our military cadres and other cadres, regardless of their background, are united and of one mind, with the exception of isolated individuals. Now, as the War of Resistance becomes increasingly difficult and the Japanese bandits and domestic reactionaries are trying by every means to sow discord in the internal relations of our Party cadres, we should all the more unite as one and eliminate any slight estrangement arising from past historical relations, background relations, or regional relations.

7. Upon receiving this directive, all localities shall report on and discuss it at meetings of cadres at all levels.

Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

July 2, 1942