Telegram to King Mahendra of Nepal
(May 1, 1956)

Source: Kau & Leung, The Writings of Mao Zedong 1949-1976, Vol. II
Pages 75-75
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you should make a telephone call to spur them on. You can also use the telephone
method with the [special] district [Party] committees.

Punishment within the Party: For some of the cadres at the xian, [special] district
and xiang [punishment] has been too much and too severe. It is difficult to reach a
conclusion on the errors committed by the higher-level cadres (including bureau
chiefs and [cadres] above that level). Once punishment is meted out (and we should
investigate clearly the reasons [for the punishment]), it is incorrect [for the
punishment] to be either too severe or too heavy. Except in the cases of counterrevolutionaries, all should be given a chance to correct [themselves].

With regard to the question of minority nationalities, as Comrade XX has said,
[what has been done] in Sichuan is correct. Although there was some revenge taken,
this has already been rectified. Other areas should also pay attention to this.

With regard to the problems of international relations, in some areas we should
not follow blindly; in some areas we already have experience. The Soviet Union
has already launched a massive criticism [campaign]. There are some points which
are suitable neither for our country nor for the Soviet Union. In view of the fact
that many errors have been committed [as a result of] their [system of] vertical
leadership, in the suppression of counterrevolutionaries for example, [in contrast]
we have [adopted the practice] of not arresting them for the most part, and of not
killing a single one of them.! [The problem of] the one-person management system
[representing] a military viewpoint, and [the problem of] whether [to adhere to] the
mass line or to the viewpoint of bestowing favors [on the masses]*2 and [the
problem of] whether the method of accumulating funds should be one of scissors
differentiation2 or of taxation—all these remain problems. However, we cannot
therefore say that we have nothing to learn from the Soviet Union. They have many
things that warrant our study. It is the Soviet Union that has helped us in our
construction; after all, a socialist country is better. At present, there is only one such
country; even though it has made many errors, nevertheless it has much that is
worthy of study. We should not follow blindly but should analyze. A fart can be
fragrant or can stink. We can’t say that all the Soviet Union’s farts are fragrant. At
this time, when other people say that something stinks, we have been following
them and also say that it stinks. We should learn whatever is applicable, good
things, [even if they are] in capitalist [countries], should be studied.

We should adopt an attitude of equal treatment for all small foreign countries
and should not strut about with our tails in the air.24 Although we are not an
imperialist [country], neither did we have the October Revolution, we could not
cock our tails at the beginning. Nevertheless if we learn a few things too quickly,
we might cock our tails. Therefore we must educate our cadres who are sent abroad
to be honest and sincere, to acknowledge what is right as right and what is wrong
as wrong and to let other people see what are our good things, our bad things, and
the things in between. The Soviet Union had its tsarist era and we had our Chiang
Kai-shek. [People in] our country have bound feet; if others want to photograph
them, let them. If the clothes we wear are no good, don’t be afraid of looking
unsightly. If we tell lies in front of foreigners, they will be disclosed some day.

The problem of transmitting [communications]. There are certain things that can