Commentary by the Central Committee on the Report of the Party Committee of the 38th Army Concerning Diligent Implementation of the Anti-Counterrevolutionary Screening Work (March 12, 1952)  The screening work deserves the attention of the entire Party and the entire army. We are now transmitting one item of experience from the Chinese People’s Volunteers[1] to all Central Bureaus and major Military Regions for their reference. It is hoped that you will guide your subordinate units to carry out the screening work conscientiously and effectively.

Printed on March 22 by the Central Committee, based on Mao Zedong’s manuscript.

Notes [ ] Refers to the methods for screening “tigers” as described in the report submitted by the Party Committee of the 38th Army of the Chinese People’s Volunteers to the Volunteer Army Party Committee on March 17, 1952, concerning guidance to its subordinate units in conducting the screening work. These methods are as follows: Each corps and division shall dispatch two working groups to the companies for inspection; each regiment shall also organize two or three screening teams, led by regimental and battalion-level cadres, to conduct the screening of “tigers,” with the primary focus on identifying such elements within the companies and among the soldiers. To date, a number of false “tigers” or those not meeting the requisite standards have been uncovered.

The report states that practical experience has demonstrated that the approach of organizing and training working groups at the regimental and battalion levels, combined with implementation at the company level, is correct. However, two problems still need to be addressed: first, it is necessary to clear up the thinking of company-level cadres and overcome the resistance to the screening work arising from fears among cadres of causing complications, of being held accountable, or of seeing previous achievements go to waste; second, the working groups should regularly summarize their experiences, systematize them, and improve upon them, so as to prevent oversimplification.