(December 1957)
To Comrade Hu Qiaomu⑴:
(1) This article⑶ is good; it should be reprinted and broadcast. (2) The CPC Central Committee and the State Council should jointly issue an instruction to mobilize the entire population to practice hygiene, eliminate the Four Pests, and begin action immediately in a phased manner. Please discuss this point with Deng and Zhou⑸, designate someone to draft the document, and ensure its issuance within two weeks. (3) Following this, the People’s Daily should publish a fine editorial.
Mao Zedong
December 7th
Comrade Qiaomu:
The notice regarding the elimination of the Four Pests still has shortcomings. It lacks solidity and feels somewhat superficial, because it fails to draw upon the rich experiences already accumulated across various regions. You yourself are not yet fully familiar with this issue. Now that we have a wealth of such experience available, you should devote about a week to collecting all relevant reports from provinces, municipalities, and counties that have appeared in the newspapers, carefully reviewing them while reflecting deeply to develop a coherent set of ideas, before putting pen to paper. Revise the document at least three or five times, convene one or two meetings with Peng Zhen, Liu Ren, two or three experienced anti-pest cadres from Beijing, and two or three scientists to solicit their opinions, refine the text meticulously, ensuring clear logic and engaging prose. The document may be somewhat lengthy—around 1,000 to 2,000 words would be acceptable. In short, it should leave readers feeling that the problem is being addressed, instilling a hundredfold confidence and immense drive to take action. The content must clearly explain how this effort can inspire everyone, transform the nation, and help eradicate diseases affecting both humans and livestock as well as crop diseases—this constitutes the theoretical foundation. Subsequently, the practical methods should also be presented in a logical and convincing manner, making them seem entirely feasible without resorting to jargon. Thorough research and diligent study are essential for crafting this section. Finally, mention the role of Party secretaries in taking the lead, alongside the use of newspapers, periodicals, radio broadcasts, regular cleanups, and periodic inspections, as concluding points. It would be ideal if the document could be completed, approved, and issued within two weeks. Please submit it to me for review once.
Please also type up the Moscow speech and send it to me again; I still believe there are aspects that require revision.
Mao Zedong
December 25th, 8:00 AM
[?] Draft of the CPC Central Committee and State Council directive on eliminating the Four Pests and promoting hygiene.
:2j Refers to Mao Zedong’s three speeches delivered in November 1957 at the Conference of Communist and Workers’ Parties in Moscow. These speeches were distributed to delegates attending the Second Plenary Session of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC in May 1958 as official documents.

Upon arriving in Jinan, you may rest overnight and engage in a thorough discussion. Bring back one copy each of the local struggle documents and industrial/agricultural plans for careful review.
Comrade Qiaomu:
Here are a report, a feature story, an editorial, and several photographs that you might find useful to examine. The People’s Daily could potentially reprint these materials. Please inform Xinhua News Agency to pay attention to coverage of the campaign to eliminate the Four Pests and promote hygiene.
Mao Zedong
December 27th
[1] Refers to the December 27, 1957 articles published in the Zhejiang Daily: the report “Everyone Takes Action, Every Household Fights Back—Unwavering Year-Round Efforts Have Made Nanxun Town in Wuxing County a ‘Fly-Free Town’”; the feature story “Old Lady Wang Ajin Actively Eliminates the Four Pests”; the editorial “Eradicate the Four Pests”; and nine accompanying photographs. On December 30 of the same year, the People’s Daily featured these articles, the feature story, the editorial, and one of the photos, with the report’s title revised to “Everyone Takes Action, Every Household Fights Back—Unremitting Year-Round Efforts Make Nanxun Town in Wuxing County Fly-Free.”


In December 1957, during the Eighth National Congress of the Trade Unions, Mao Zedong met with Lin Maozu, an elder veteran of the Wuhan “February 7” Uprising.
In December of that year, Mao Zedong and other leaders received delegates to the Eighth National Congress of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, with Lai Ruoyu fourth from the right.

--- Notes

[1] Hu Qiaomu was then an alternate member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Mao Zedong’s secretary.
[2] Refers to the December 4, 1957 editorial of the Anhui Daily titled “We Will Not Rest Until the Four Pests Are Eliminated,” which was reprinted by the People’s Daily on December 8, 1957.
[3] The joint directive from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on eliminating the Four Pests and promoting hygiene was issued on February 12, 1958, and published in the People’s Daily the following day.
[4] Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, who at that time served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai.
[5] On February 13, 1958, along with the CPC Central Committee and State Council’s directive on eliminating the Four Pests and promoting hygiene, the People’s Daily also published an editorial entitled “We Must Completely Eradicate the ‘Four Pests’ Throughout China.”