To Xie Juezai and Chen Zhengren
(August 19, 1942)
Comrades Juezai and Zhengren:1
Today we discussed how the second session of the Consultative Congress [of the
Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region] should center on the preparation for Crack
Troops and Simple Administration. Retrenchment should begin before the
meeting. After the meeting we should devote ourselves to investigating
(examining item by item) the Crack Troops and Simple Administration effort,
seeing that they include the aspects of better and fewer, efficiency, unity, and so
forth. I have just read the article titled “Crack Troops and Simple Administration
in the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region” in today’s [August 19]
newspaper. It contains many more things, such as economizing and antibureaucratism. I think this is a very good article. Please also have a look at it to
see whether we can imitate them entirely. After rectification study has been
completed, there should be another effort as great as rectification itself. Only in
this way can we have widespread, penetrating, and real effects. In the past, it was
just like a puff of wind passing by the ear.2
Best wishes!
Mao Zedong
Notes
Our source for this text is Mao Zedong shuxin xuanji, pp. 199–200, which is based on a manuscript copy.

1. For Xue, see above, note to the text of August 17, 1942. Chen Zhengren (1907–1972) was at this time
director of the Organization Department of the Party Central Committee.
2. That is, unheeded advice.