Speech on the Youth League
(June 30, 1953)

Source: Nwanji, V, pp. 83-87. Other Chinese Texts; RMRB (July 3, 1953), |

fexcerpts); XHYB. & (Aug. 28, 1953), 33 (excerpts); Buy?, p. 23 (excerpts).

Wansui (1967), p. 14 (excerpts); Jiaoye yulu, p. 6 (excerpts), Jiaoyu

#eming, p. 9 (excerpts); Lin qingnian, pp. 11. 2b. 22, 31-32 (excerpts).

Available English Translations: SW, V, pp. 95-100; CLG, X:2 (Summer
977), 11-18: J. Chen (1970), p. 80.

rtcerpt: CB, 888 (Aug. 22, 1969), 6 (excerpt); CB, 891 (Oct. 8, 1969), 16
*cempt)

Accor ding ro the Xuanji source, this wax Mao's talk at a reception given for the memy, el of the Presidium of the Second National Congress uf the Chinese New Democratic
ay h League (NDYL). The title of this speech in Xuanji is "Qingniannuan de gongzuo
0 thooeu gingnian de tedian” (The Youth League Must Take into Consideration the
lal Characteristics of the Young People in tts Werk)
The formation of the NDYL. was proposed at the Central Committee of the CPC in


32 | MAQ ZEDONG

October 1946. After wo yours of experimentation, the Fir’ Congresy of ¢
was held in April 1949, and the Youth League was formally established, Ip
was to educate progressive young people to coardinate their work and liviey yj
goals of the construction of the PRC anu, after 1949, ta briny about soctalign,
hasis of ihe gradual transformanion of new democracy to socviilisn, (Soe
[1951], ‘shu section, pp. 14-17.) In May 1957, at the third League cong:
haine was chinged 10 the Chinese Communist Youth League. In fact, werver
nanie had also been adopred by the Chinese Conmmunin Youth Leaguy whipk
formed in Europe in 1925, (In 1922. the Socialist Youth League wus formed, re
the formation of the European branch of the CPC, and its name was

-

Chinese Communist Youth League in 1925.) See ulna text Feb, 18. 1951, new

The problem of the Youth League's clamoring for independence tee 1 :
tionship} with the Party has long since passed. The problem al present |
League's lack of independent work, not its clamoring for independende.

The Youth League should coordinate fits work] with the central tix kee
Party, but while it coordinutes [its work| with the central tasks of the Pa
should have ils own independent work and take into consideration the
needs of young people. In 1952, J talked with the comrades of the C
Committee of the League, and 1 brought up two topics for the League a
to study; one was how the Party should lead the League in its work, und uni
other was how the League should go about its work,’ [The questio#t(p : iT vi"
to take into consideration the special characteristics of young people
implicit in both of these topics. All local Partly committees report that th
satisfied with the work of the Youth League and thut |they] are 3a
because [the League] coordinates fits efforts) with the central masks of
Party. [But] here [I'd like to} bring up a point of dissatisfaction, which is
the work of the Youth League has not yet shaped itself to fit the speci
acteristics of young people and [thus has not) organized any independ
activities, The leadership organs of both the Party and the League show fe ¢
how to lead the League jn its work and do a good job of egg
cating the broad masses of the young people and organizing them w /
central tasks of the Party, taking into consideration the special charwcterts!
of young peaple,

Under the leadership of the Party, the Youth League has actively patil
pated in all areas of revolutionary work and has achieved very great resule
Whether it be in the factories, in the rural areas, in the military, orm
schools. the revolutionary cause cannot succeed without young people if
young people of China are very disciplined; they have accomplished all!
tasks that the Party has given them. Now, with the Korean conflict comune
an end and the conclusion of the land reform program,’ the main thrust 0!
work within the country is right now shifting to socialist transformation ®
socialist construction. So we must learn. The Youth League roust learn how™
lead young people to work in conjunction with adults to do a good job in er
culture in the countryside, to do a good job in industry in the cities, to Gf
goa! job in studying in the schools, to do wood work in the |governme?

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ans and, in the armed forces, to train the national defense forces well [so
tt ney may) become a modernized army,

young people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five must study and

«, work, The period of youth. however, is a period of physical growth, It
would be very dangerous not to pay attention to the physical development of
oung people. Young people need to study even more than udults do; they
se wy learn many things that adults have already learned. Nevertheless, the
purden of study and work placed upon them must not be too heavy. Particujarly with young people from fouricen to eighteen years of age, the intensity
of their labor cannot be the same as that of adults, Young people haye to play
abit more and have to have a bit more recreation, They have to jump around a
pit, otherwise they will be unhappy, Luter on, they will fall in love and get
married. In these respects they are different from adults.

Let me say @ few words to young people, First. | wish them good health,
second, | wish them well in their studies. and third, 1 wish then well in their
work

{ propose that another hour be added to the sleeping time of students. [The
standard | now 16 eight hours but in fuet they only get-six or seven hours. and
there is a general feeling that they do not get enough sleep. Since educated
youth easily suffer from nervous exhaustion, often they can’t get to sleep and
can’t wake up. We must stipulate nine hours of sleeping time [for them]. We
should issue an order; we needn't debate it, just make it obligatory, Young
people must sleep well, and teachers should get enough sleep too.

Revolution brings many good things, but it also brings one bad thing,
which 1s that everybody is 100 active, too enthusiastic, to a point where they
become worn out. Now we must ensure that everybody is in good health; we
must ensure that workers, peasants, soldiers, students, und cadres areal in
good health, Of course, bemy in good health doesn’ necessarily mean that
One will study well; studying {well} requires certain methods.

Right now, the houry lower middle school students spend in class are also
somewhat too long. We can consider reducing them appropriately. Activists
hold too many meetings: this too should be reduced, On the one hand there is
Study. on the other recreation, rest. and sleep: both aspects must be taken into
full consideration. Young workers, young peasants, and young soldiers study
#8 they work: for them, too. work and study fon the one hand] and recreation,
FSSt, and sleep fon the other) must both be taken into full consideration.

Both ends must be firmly grasped. Studying and work must be firmly
ERsped. but sleep, rest, und recreation must be firmly grasped also, li the
tr We only took hold of one end firmly, and we didn’t take a firm hold on the

her end, or else didn't take hold of it at all. Now we must develop some
+ ar for] recreation; there must be time and facilities |for recreation). At

's end too, we must take a firm hold, The Central Committee of the Party

S Already decided to reduce the number of meetings and the time [required]
“© study; you must supervise the implementation [of this decision]. If there
Te people who don't curry it out, [an cxphinution) should be demanded of


354 | MAO ZEDONG

them.

In short, We must make young people healthy, good in their 4
good at their work. Some leading comrades only want the cl
work and pay no attention to the physical (well-being) of young pe
such cases} You can use this statement fof mine] to rebuff them; the ¢
behind it is very sound. [t is simply to protect the younger generat
they may grow Up better, Our generation had a bad time of it fin at
didn't take [good] care of children. Big people had tables to eat at th

people didn’t. Kids had no right to speak in their homes. and if the
they got 4 slap across the face, Today, New China must change ils py alicy
be considerate of young people and teenagers. :

We must elect young cadres to serve as members of the League Go,
Committee. In the time of the Three Kingdoms, Cav Cao led & huge oe
south of the Yangtze River to attack. the [kingdom of] Eastern Wu.
time, Zhou Yu was a “Youth League member” and served as marshal 9
The old generals such as Cheng Pu would not accept his authority, but
they were persuaded io do so and he was made marshal anyw
Consequently they won a victory.’ Yet now, when we want Zhou Y hi
members of the League Central Committee everybody is against it! Will
to select only older people to be League Central Committee membert
have too few young people fon it)? Naturally, we cannot go comp <
this basis of age; we must consider ability as well. On the slate of
for the League Central Committee there were originally only nine pe
under thirty years of uge, Now, after discussion by the Party Center, |
number| has been increased to more than sixty, which is still only ad
than one quarter [of the Committee]. Those over thirty years old still)
almost three-quarters. and some comrades still say this is tod few. V4
hot foo few, |AS to) whether or not all these sixty-some young peo ae
hundred per cent suited to their positions, some comrades say that th a
certainty [about this). We must trust young people fully; the overwhelm
majority will be equal to their tasks. Some individuals may not be compe
in their posts, bui this is nothing to be afraid of; in the future they ©
dropped in another election. Do things this way and the fundamental or =
tion will not be wrong. Young people are no weaker thin we un €
people have experience, and therefore are, of course, strong; their ply lO :
cal cupacities, however, are gradually deteriorating, their eyesight 4
hearing are no longer so sharp, and they are not ay agile as young people *
This is a law of nature. We must persuade those cormrades who disagte

‘The Youth League must take into consideration the special characterivs
Of young people. must have work of its own Jas an independent) org '
and at the same time must accept leadership fron) the Party committees #
levels. This isn’t a new discovery; it has been so for a long time; Marxism
ulways Said that this [should be so]. This is proceeding from reality,
people are young people; if they weren't, why would we have to huve a
League? Young people ane different from adults, young women are alse

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AVKIL ~ JUNE WI) | DD

feren! irom young men, and if we do not take these special charactenstics into
ideration We will become divorced from the masses. You now have nine
ilion League members. If you do not take into consideration young
ople’s special characteristics, perhaps only one million [of them| will supyt you, and eight million will not.
Phe work of the Youth League must take info account the |nceds of the]
jority. and wt the same time it must pay attention to the advanced youth,
gome advanced elements may not be thrilled about this; they demand that we
be a bit stricter with all League members. This would not be so proper; we
must persuade them of that, There are too many duties and too few nghts stiulated in the draft constitution of the League“ It has to be made a little more
jenient, Ss that the majority can follow [the rules}. The emphasis should be
aced on the majority; we cannot focus on the minority.

Your draft constitution for the League stipulates that lif a member} fails to
jake part in the activities of the organization for four months, then that person
is considered to have automatically dropped out of the League. This is too
severe. Even the Party Constitution stipulates six months; can’t you also stipulate six months? Things that can’t be done or things that can be done by only
one million [members] and not by |the other] eight million should not be stipulated in the League constitution. Principles must be carried out in a flexible
way. There is a gap between what ought to be and what actually is. Provisions
of certain Laws will require a few more years before they can actually be
implemented. For instance, many of the provisions in the marriage law are
programmatic in nature, and it will take at least three five-year plaris to implement them thoroughly.’ The provision “do not slander people behind their
backs” is correct in principle, but it is unnecessary to write it into the League
constitution. The struggle against liberalism is a protracted one; there ts stilla
lot of liberalism within the Party itself. Actually, it is impossible to forbid
peuple to curse you even once behind your back. We must not make our circle
tx) small: the main thing is that the boundaries between the enemy and ontr-
Selves must be distinct.

Prestige is built up gradually. In the past, there were some people inside the
armed forces who made up jingles to malign people, We neither prohibited
HOr investigated [the practice], and yet the army did not fall apart. We just
look hold of some of the major [issues}, such us the Three Main Rules of Dis-
Cipline and the Eight Great Points for Attention, and the troops slowly got
Onto the right track.” For the masses to truly respect their leaders, they must
Come to understand them through revolutionary practice. Trust comes only
through true understanding. Right now the prestige of the League Center is
ilready rather high. Some people still don’t respect it, but they will slowly
“kee to respect it, When a young person first steps onto the stage his prestige
* thigh, [but] don’t be anxious, it's impossible not to receive a bit of criti-

Sm und a bit of scolding, There ure “small broadcasts” because the “big
‘ adeast” is not well-developed.’ As long as the democratic [way of] life is

Ully lestublished] and [people's] scabs are exposed openly. then, even if peo-


oe “ee StI

there will always be problems, and we mustn't think that everything ¢
solved at once. There are [problems] now and there will be in the fi
well.

2. The armistice that concluded the Korean Wur Wits Sigoed at Pantonjo on duty 27, (S80:
For the lanl reform. see vex Feb. 18, 1951 onoe 2
Coe (153-220 A.D}, was & statesmmun, Miliary strteyist. and literary figure af ate
ngvhums period (220-230) He amasved Breal military pwer Ihrough the suppressing OF
the eto Turban’ bandits in the waning years of the Han dynasty, and in 196. A.D, he mowed
the Hun emperor, Xiandi. within his own sphere of influence at Xudu. With that, Cao began 30

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« decrees mm Eniperor Xiandi"s name and progressively aygrandized hes own power ot the

ease Of Other feudal warlords. By defeating Yuan Shae al he Batile of Guandu (199) he
ev at political control along the Yellow River busin. In 208 he was apported chief yninister ta
uw eqyperor and marched southward across the Yangute River avainst the forces of the Eastern
wo. Inv the: satrme Year. he Wis soundly defeated at the Bartle of Chibi by the coalittan of the fordes
or banter” Wu and Shu Han Cao was later made prisce of Wes by the emperor. In 220, the year
oe OH deed, his son, Coo Pi, who succeeded tim os the prince of Wei, abolished the Han
yn) and made himself Emperor Wendi of the Wei dynasty. Cao Cad was posthumously
epiisrones a Eenperir Wudi.

gnow Yo (175-210) was a young mulitary stratcesst of the seme penod of the Kingdom of Wu.
He wie a [nend of Sun Ce, the first Prince of Eastern Wu. and tose quickly to the rank Of peneral
at the age Of twenty-four, Later he became marshal at the vanguard forces wf the Eastern Wu.
Belote the battle of Chibi, he advocated the forming of the coalition with the forees of Shu-Hun

mat the advice Of many Other generals, and was made marshal for the entire defensive come
pout. Zhou Yu, thowgh he led such a stion life. is une of the hest-knowe rermantic figures in Chipene history and literature.

Cheng Pu was an old general of the Eastern Wa forces who had been serving the rulers of the
fasion) Wu beginning wath the father of Sun Ce, He was the main dissident when Zhou Yu pre
sepred bis Mrategy for the defense apulnst the forces of Wei in 208 A.D, and he was only won
over ws Zhvoo"s side later, This episode was very dramatically desenbedt tn hal 43-45 of the classi~
cal novel Stn gue pe (The Romance af the Three Kingdoms).

4. The constitution of the Chinese New Democratic Youth League remained im draft form until
it was wdlopited at the Ninth Nanonnl Congress of the League Utne 29, 1954). by which time the
name of the League had been changed (see source note), The issues to which Mao relers in this
pewipe are dealt with in Chapter 1, Article 6, of the League constitution (reprinted in T, Chen
[1967], pp. 166-178). Ut is apparent from the 1964 version that Mao"s suggestions were adopted.

5. The Marriage Luw of the PRC was promyulgated fr April 1950) See RAMSC (195)), section
“Shen p. |

6. In 1928 Maa laid down the Three Roles of Dixcipline and Sis Pots for Attention for the
Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army im Jingganpstan, emphasizing the cultivation of congenial
selations and imatual respect between the soldiers and the civilian populace, Later, slight revisions
and ddaplations were made. The fist was standantized ty 1947 as the Three Main Railes of Disc:
Sline and Bight Grew Points far Meemivn, They belude. (11 Obey orders ir all actions; (2) Not a
single ncedle or a Single piece of thread i (0 be twken front the masses; (3) Everything captures
Must be turned in; and (a) Speak politely; (b) Pay a fair price for whatever you buy; (c) Return
everything you borrow; (d) Pay for all damages; (¢) Do not hit people or swear at people; (f) Da
®t damage crops; (2) Do not take any fiberties with women; (hy Oy not Hltreat captives.

7 By "Sail froadcast.” Mau refers tO the practice of spreading unofficial, and sometimes
MAlC\Ods. fumOns Concerning a person, Mao ts saying that this practece exists only because the
official channels of information are not alway’ up ty date and accurate and are unahle jo overcome
Tatoos and personal slandering.

8. See text June 1S, 1953, note 1. For dating of the five-year plans, see text Feb. 10, 1953,
"ole 2. Here Mow was referring by the "general line” daring the period of transition: see text June
1S, 1953, and specifically note |

5. Mau is here referring to the major CPX” rectification campaiga in Yanan in 1942. The main
‘Urgety of that rectification campaign were “against subjectivism, to rectify the style of stedying,
“URInst sectarianism, to rectify the Party's work-style: and against cight-legged stereotyped Party
WFitiig. 1 rectify the Party's filerary style For more on this rectification campaign, see M. Selen (1971), pp. £8K-210, 212-216, 269-275. See test Aug. 12, 1953 (1), note 24


358 / MAO ZEDONG