Text Written on Investigation Reports
(July 1955)

I. The Situation in Xiaohuzhuang Township, Sixth District, Lankao County, Henan Province[1] (May 1955)
Investigated by Hu Quande (Party member).
This township lacks grain, the peasants are dissatisfied, it merits attention.
Pass to Comrade Wu Zhifu[2] for perusal. Return to Mao Zedong.
July 19

[1] Refers to the investigation report on Beisunzhuang Village, Xiaohuzhuang Township, Sixth District, Lankao County, Henan Province, written in May 1955 by Hu Quande, a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment. The report stated that due to successive years of flooding, the majority of the village masses, especially the poor peasants, had no surplus grain, with grain-deficient households reaching 50%. This spring they had nothing to eat and had to eat tree leaves. The main reasons for this situation were that too few grain purchase certificates were issued, there were too many households in difficulty, the fixed output quotas were set too high, and actual output could not reach them. The masses generally reported that village cadres did not convey policies in a timely manner, and were therefore dissatisfied. Some peasant households even pulled up and ate the wheat before it ripened, affecting next year's grain production.
[2] Wu Zhifu, then Second Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and Governor of Henan Province.

II. The Situation in Yantun Township, Fifth District, Yanjin County, Henan Province[1]
Investigated by Wang Wenli (Party member).
Pass to Comrade Wu Zhifu for perusal. Return to Mao Zedong after perusal.
July 19
There are some grain problems in this township, not major. The cooperative problem is larger.

[1] Refers to the investigation report on Wangliantun Village, Yantun Township, Fifth District, Yanjin County, Henan Province, by Wang Wenli, a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment. The report stated that the village peasants had mixed reactions to the policy of planned purchase and supply of grain, some good, some bad. During the planned purchase, some peasants could not think it through, and the cadres' working methods were simple and crude. During the planned supply, 2/3 of the peasant households wanted grain purchase certificates, but in reality, only a minority currently had nothing to eat. The village organized a production cooperative last winter, with poor peasants making up 2/3 and middle peasants 1/3. When the cooperative was first established, because the speed was too fast and the principle of voluntariness and mutual benefit was not adopted, some people could not think it through and prepared to withdraw from the cooperative. Due to neglect in feeding, some of the cooperative's draft animals died. Cooperative members constantly quarreled, and production morale was not high. The cooperative's leadership strength was weak and lacked experience, affecting production.

III. The Situation in Xinhua Township, Eighth District, Xincai County[1]
Investigated by Li Haoxue (League member) upon returning home.
It is said that this township has some problems. The township chairman, Zou Mingfa (a relatively well-off old middle peasant), had 320 jin of surplus grain but only sold 70 jin, and in the spring bought back 20 jin from the government; the people have complaints.
Pass to Comrade Wu Zhifu for perusal[2], after perusal, return to Mao Zedong.
July 19

[1] Refers to the investigation report on Xinhua Township, Eighth District, Xincai County, Henan Province, written in May 1955 by Li Haoxue, a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment. The report stated that the township had suffered disasters for successive years, the grain harvest was poor, grain-deficient households increased, private merchants profited from this, grain prices rose, some people sold off all their farm tools and daily necessities to buy grain, and the peasants' thinking fluctuated greatly. During the planned purchase, because of the poor harvest last year and deviations in the work of some cadres, many peasant households sold their grain rations, while some district, township, and village cadres did not sell their surplus grain, causing complaints among the peasants.
[2] On July 22, 1955, Wu Zhifu wrote a letter to the responsible person of the Confidential Office of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, stating: "I have read the investigation materials on three townships in Henan that the Chairman approved and sent for my perusal, and I feel these situations are very worthy of attention." "To facilitate further investigation and research upon my return and to correct mistakes in work, I have copied these three materials. I hereby return the original documents, please check and accept."

IV
Two households unwilling to sell surplus grain were detained. The cooperative is very good.

V
This report is written quite well. It has analysis, and examples.

[1] This comment is written on the investigation report on Hushui Village, Xinhuixiang, Third District, Nanxiong County, Guangdong Province, written in June 1955 by Ye Yao, a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment. The report stated that the village's agricultural production cooperative was established last year. Over the past year, it overcame natural disasters, fulfilled the task of increasing production, with output increasing by 30% compared to individual farming households and mutual aid teams, and was rated as a second-class model cooperative in the county. Many members who had misgivings last year have eagerly requested to join the cooperative this year. Finally, the entire village joined the cooperative except for those deprived of political rights and one single household. Regarding the planned purchase of grain, the village adopted the method of self-reporting surplus grain for sale; peasants all enthusiastically sold grain, especially the cooperative, which sold all its surplus grain in an organized manner. However, a very small number of peasants were unwilling to sell surplus grain. When the village self-reported surplus grain, one middle peasant household and one poor peasant household refused to sell surplus grain and were detained by work cadres, creating a bad influence.
[2] This comment is written on the investigation report on Nanzhu Township, Sixth District, Ningxiang County, Hunan Province, written in June 1955 by Gao Bicen, a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment.

VI
The middle peasants' cries of hardship are false. Qin County suffers a great drought.

[1] Inscription written by Mao Zedong for the guard soldiers.
[2] This comment is written on the investigation report on Songbai Village, Songbai Township, Dongxing District, Fangcheng County, Guangxi Province, written on July 7, 1955, by Ling Lide, a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment. The report stated that the village's main reaction to the grain issue was cries of hardship, and the vast majority of those crying hardship were middle peasants farming individually. Upon investigation, among the 10 middle peasant households crying hardship, not a single one had genuine hardship. The report also mentioned that the adjacent Qin County suffered a great drought, causing grain panic; each person could only get one liang of rice per day, relying entirely on digging up wild plants in the mountains to eat, and some people died from poisoning as a result.