Selected Works of Mao Zedong
Annotations on the Cuts Made in Volume II [1]
(August 13, 1954)

On March 29, 1954, Harry Pollitt, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain, wrote to the CPC Central Committee, proposing that the first two sections of the essay “On War and Strategic Problems” be omitted from the English translation of Volume II of the Selected Works of Mao Zedong. He enclosed a letter from Morris Cohenworth, the head of Lawrence & Wishart, the British publisher responsible for the English edition of the Selected Works, explaining the reasons for the proposed cuts.
In May, the CPC Central Committee’s Propaganda Department drafted a reply to Pollitt on behalf of the Central Committee, suggesting that Pollitt’s view could be accepted. When this draft was submitted to the Central Committee for review, it drew criticism from Mao Zedong. Items 1, 2, and 3 here are Mao’s annotations pointing out the errors made by the Propaganda Department in handling this matter. Annotation 1 was written on the Propaganda Department’s report to the Central Committee dated May 11, 1954; annotation 2 was penned on Pollitt’s letter of March 29, 1954, which had been forwarded with the Propaganda Department’s report; and annotation 3 appeared on the draft reply to Pollitt prepared by the Propaganda Department.
In August, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee redrafted the reply to Pollitt, clearly stating: “We cannot agree to the proposal to omit the first two sections of ‘On War and Strategic Problems’ from the English translation of the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, because the principles set forth by Comrade Mao in that document are universal truths of Marxism-Leninism and do not require any revision simply due to changes in the international situation. Moreover, the Russian-language edition and other foreign-language editions of the Selected Works have already been published without making any such modifications. As for the difficulties encountered in publishing and distributing the Selected Works in the United States, the following solution may be adopted: publish an edition that can be distributed in the U.S.; if certain articles or speeches are prohibited from publication under U.S. reactionary laws, they may be excluded from the collection. However, the table of contents of the U.S. edition of the Selected Works must first obtain the author’s consent.” After being reviewed by Mao Zedong, this reply was dispatched on August 23. Item 4 is Mao’s annotation written on a report dated August 13, 1954, submitted by Wang Jiaxiang, Minister of the CPC Central Committee’s International Department, concerning the draft reply to Pollitt.

Comrade Lu Dingyi:
The Propaganda Department has made a mistake in this matter—by agreeing to the erroneous proposal of the British Communist Party—this deserves serious attention.
The way this issue is framed seems inappropriate.
The manner of the reply (121) also appears unsuitable.
Mao Zedong
August 13th
[1]

--- Notes

This refers to Pollitt’s justification, given in his letter to the CPC Central Committee, for removing the first two sections of “On War and Strategic Problems” from the English translation of Volume II of the Selected Works: “I believe this decision is correct, because if we were to publish these sections, it would create many difficulties for our comrades in the United States. Furthermore, these sections are inconsistent with our program, ‘Britain’s Road to Socialism,’ published in February 1951. After extremely careful consideration of certain formulations, the program concluded that, given the changed international situation, the Soviet method of seizing power is not applicable to Britain.”
[2]
This refers to the original draft reply to Pollitt prepared by the CPC Central Committee’s Propaganda Department, which endorsed Pollitt’s suggestion to omit the first two sections of “On War and Strategic Problems” from the English translation of Volume II of the Selected Works.
Four
To be read by Comrades Liu, Zhu, Chen, Xiaoping (I), and Lu Dingyi; then returned to Comrade Wang Jiaxiang for implementation.
Mao Zedong
August 13th
[L]
Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhu refers to Zhu De. Chen refers to Chen Yun, who at the time served as a secretary of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat. Xiaoping is Deng Xiaoping, who was then the CPC Central Committee’s Secretary-General.