Relief Supplies for the Troops [1]
(August 11, 1952)
II. The people of Heishui have long suffered under the exploitation by local chieftains and headmen. Moreover, when our army passed through in 1934, they sustained considerable losses. In order to alleviate their burden, with regard to these past losses, apart from considering appropriate relief measures to enhance our influence, we should basically decline any further offerings at this time. Instead, we may accept approximately one-tenth of the relief gifts as a token of the people’s goodwill, and within a few days return equivalent gifts to the villagers. By adopting this approach, we can strengthen the friendship between the army and the local populace.
[1] This is a passage revised by Mao Zedong on August 11, 1952, while reviewing a draft telegram from the General Staff Department of the Central Military Commission. The text typeset in Song typeface represents words added or altered by Mao Zedong. Heishui is located within today’s Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province; it was traversed by the Red Army during the Long March.