Comment on an Urgent Notice
(July 2, 1955)
Comrade Xiaoping:[1]
Please forward this document[2] to the Henan and Shaanxi provincial party committees for their reference.
Mao Zedong
July 2
[1] Xiaoping, namely Deng Xiaoping, then serving as Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council.
[2] Refers to the urgent notice issued by the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee on June 29, 1955, regarding current drought-resistance and summer planting, sent to its subordinate prefectural and municipal committees and reported to the Central Committee. The notice pointed out that the disaster situation across the province was severe at present, with already sown spring seedlings withering from lack of water. If no rain continued for another half month, a major drought would result. It therefore demanded that in all drought-stricken areas, full efforts be concentrated on drought-resistance and sowing. Responsible comrades of prefectural and county party committees must go deep into the disaster areas, vigorously mobilize the masses, and strengthen the confidence of cadres and the masses in fighting the drought. At the same time, active preparations must be made for sowing late-autumn crops, striving to reduce losses. The provincial party committee decided to allocate an additional one million yuan in drought-resistance loans to various localities, to be used exclusively for their designated purposes. It instructed supply and marketing cooperatives in all localities to vigorously purchase late-autumn crop seeds to ensure the timely sowing of late-autumn crops.