Central Committee Telegram Regarding the Handling of Former Government Personnel (November 2, 1949) To the Central China Bureau, the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, and all Central Bureau Sub-Bureaus and Forward Command Posts: According to a letter received from the Xinhua News Agency’s Tianjin office, it states: “Earlier, I read the editorial ‘Six Comments on the White Paper’ published in the Tianjin Daily on September 16 of this year, which included the following passage: ‘The CPC Central Committee has ordered Communist organizations and the People’s Liberation Army across the country to retain all former Nationalist government employees who possess a skill, provided they are not proven reactionaries or notorious criminals.
No one is to be laid off.
When circumstances are extremely difficult, food and housing should be shared equitably.
Those who have already been dismissed and now find themselves without means of support are to be reinstated and provided with sustenance.
Nationalist army personnel who have defected or been captured are to be accepted without exception according to this principle.
Even non-principal reactionaries, if they show genuine repentance, must be given a chance to rebuild their lives.’
Upon reading this, I was deeply impressed by the CPC Central Committee’s humane directive.
However, recently I have received numerous letters from colleagues at the Hunan Salt Administration Office in Changsha, stating that after the liberation of Changsha, it took a long time before anyone came to take over the office, and for more than two months no living expenses were provided.
Only very recently were personnel disposal measures announced.
Of the original 300 employees, only slightly over forty were retained, while the rest were summarily dismissed, leaving most people suddenly unemployed.
Given that finding work today is far more difficult than during the Nationalist regime, they all fear for their future livelihoods.
I often think that since Changsha was liberated peacefully and the Central People’s Government has already been established, with an increase in government institutions, all former staff members should have been able to keep their jobs.
Even if reorganization occurred or there were too many employees, alternative arrangements could have been made.
Yet, as things stand, not only have my hopes been dashed, but Hunan’s approach to personnel matters seems to run counter to the CPC Central Committee’s instructions, causing considerable disappointment.
I believe that when Communists make a promise, it should be kept; any discrepancies between words and deeds must be corrected.
Therefore, I am writing to inform your agency and request that you forward this letter to Chairman Mao.
If this situation is due to deviations by those responsible for implementation, I urge you to promptly telegraph the Hunan Military-Administrative Committee and the Changsha Military Control Commission to reverse course immediately, individually ascertain the wishes of each dismissed former employee, offer them employment opportunities, and provide living allowances, so as to uphold our credibility and reassure the populace.
I look forward to seeing the outcome reported in the newspapers!
Sincerely, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing.
As I have recently returned to my hometown (Hunan), I will refrain from providing my contact information or signing my name.
Please accept my apologies. (Tianjin, October 10)” Regarding this matter, the following actions should be taken: (1) Concerning the dismissal of a large number of former employees at the Hunan Salt Administration Office mentioned in the letter, the Hunan Provincial Party Committee is requested to investigate the situation and submit a report with recommendations. (2) With regard to the principles and procedures for handling former government personnel outlined in Xinhua News Agency’s September 16 editorial “Six Comments on the White Paper,” the Central Committee has previously issued directives to all Central Bureau Sub-Bureaus and Forward Command Posts, requiring Party organizations, the People’s Liberation Army, and the People’s Governments nationwide to strictly adhere to these guidelines and avoid repeating the past mistakes of recklessly and irresponsibly dismissing large numbers of former employees in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and other cities (over ten thousand in Beijing, more than twenty thousand in Shanghai and Nanjing). The Northwest Bureau recently formulated a specific measure regarding the treatment of former personnel [1], which the Central Committee has already forwarded for your reference.
Please pay close attention to this and ensure that your subordinate units are likewise informed.
Central Committee, November 2, published from Mao Zedong’s manuscript. £± 6

Notes [1] Refers to the Northwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee’s October 14, 1949, directive on handling former government personnel. £± 7