Comments on the People’s Daily Editorial Draft [1 “Muster Our Spirits and Strive to Be in the Forefront”] (February 3, 1958)

To Comrade Wu Lengxi [2]. Approved for use. — Mao Zedong, February 3, 1:00 a.m.

Printed from the manuscript. Notes [1] This editorial draft of the People’s Daily primarily criticized the anti-“leftist” campaign of 1956. The draft stated: “The great development of all undertakings in our country in 1956, despite certain individual shortcomings, was nonetheless, in essence, a healthy Great Leap Forward. The correct attitude should be to affirm the leap forward and the positive aspects, while at the same time adopting appropriate measures to rectify and overcome those individual shortcomings. However, some people failed to distinguish between nine good fingers and one bad finger; they generalized the particular into the general, treated the minor current as the mainstream, and arrived at a mistaken assessment of the overall situation. They called it an ‘anti-‘leftist’ drive,’ but in reality it was an anti-leap-forward movement. Learning from past mistakes to prevent future ones, we must not again adopt such an erroneous approach in dealing with the current new leap forward.” The draft further declared that our country now faced a new situation characterized by a comprehensive leap forward, “and most parts of the country should endeavor to fundamentally transform their appearance within three years.” This editorial was published in the People’s Daily on February 3, 1958. [2] Wu Lengxi was then the editor-in-chief of the People’s Daily and the president of the Xinhua News Agency.