Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Should Be
Determined in Carrying Out Crack
Troops and Simple Administration1
(August 5, 1943)
Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Subbureau:
We have received your telegram on Crack Troops and Simple Administration.
There is no doubt that you should carry this out. If you hesitate on this policy,
you will meet with unconquerable difficulties. At present, you only have a
relatively stable base area with a population of about 900,000; the other 900,000
people from whom you can collect the grain tax are in the guerrilla areas. But
you have over 80,000 people, calculated by converting horses into manpower
[sic], who are divorced from the production. This situation cannot continue for
long. You must now resolve to cut 30,000 people and retain only 50,000. The ratio
between civilian and military personnel should be 1:4. Of the 30,000 people to be
cut, in addition to the 6,000 under Lü [Zhengcao]2 who will move westward,
4,000 under Nie [Rongzhen]3 should also move westward. In all, 10,000 people
will move westward. The remaining 20,000 should be peacefully integrated
locally. If next year is more difficult, you should prepare to cut another 10,000
from the remaining 50,000.
Secretariat of the Central Committee
Notes
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 2, pp. 703–4, where it is reproduced from Mao
Zedong’s manuscript in the Central Archives. The same text can also be found in Mao Zedong ji. Bujuan,
Vol. 7, p. 121.

--- Notes

1. This is a telegram to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei (Jin-Cha-Ji) Subbureau of the Central Committee drafted
by Mao Zedong on behalf of the Secretariat of the Central Committee.

2. On Lü Zhengcao, see above, note to the text of July 30, 1943.

3. Regarding Nie Rongzhen, see above, note to the text of July 4, 1942.