Get to Work on Your Own, Overcome
Difficulties
(April 9, 1945)
Zheng [Weisan], Li [Xiannian], Chen [Shaomin]:
I have received both Zheng’s telegram of March 14 and the telegram by all three
of you April 2.
1. It is difficult to send more troops, and you should not count on it.
2. You did the right thing by moving your focus to the western side of the
railway 1
and to develop in the direction toward Laohekou. You can adjust the
deployment of the troops yourself.
3. I have ordered the Organization Department to consider sending some
financial and popular movement cadres.
4. Except for food, other expenses should be resolved from mainly relying on
tax revenue to mainly relying on production and self-sufficiency. You should give
a free hand to each district to solve its own problems through production. Only
this method is the most dependable one. In the three years of 1940, 1941, and
1942, the financial difficulties in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region were
worse than yours. Beginning in 1943, we solved them through this method. A
border region with a population of only 1.5 million was able to feed 100,000
public servants without harm to the people. The difficulty in the two areas of
Wutai and Taihang was also greater than your difficulty, but a major production
campaign last year alone changed the situation. This year should be the year in
which you begin a major production movement. Do not miss the opportunity for
spring plowing. I hope that you will have a realistic discussion at the finance

meeting, the slogan of which is to “get to work on your own, overcome
difficulties.” Meanwhile, after consideration, the amount of public grain will be
increased, which will surely guarantee supply. With regard to the expansion of
troops, you should recruit in newly developed areas and recruit soldiers with
consideration of the amount of burden the people there can tolerate. As for
inadequacies in mass work, you should order the entire Party, administration,
military, and civilian personnel to undertake mass work together and to combine
the work of attacking the enemy together, engaging in production and becoming
self-sufficient together and doing mass work together. In sum, all problems
depend on the strength of the broadest masses for solution. Let go and give the
responsibility of solving problems to the subregions and to the broad masses. You
leading comrades at the top should only summarize their outlines, appeal to
them, and provide guidance, examination, and adjustments. Adopt the principle
of concentrated leadership and dispersed management. Never try to assume all
the heavy duties at the top; that will make the subordinates look to you for food,
clothing, and solutions. Even if you are busy and frantic with anxiety, you will
still be unable to satisfy everyone. These are methods resulting from the
characteristics of guerrilla war. I do not know whether you will regard them as
plausible. Please consider them and try to put them into practice.
Mao Zedong
Notes
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong wenji, Vol. 3, pp. 280–81, where it is reproduced from the
manuscript.
1. Referring to the Beiping-Hankou railway line.