Comment on the Situation Briefing [1]
(5 March 1960)

Very good. To be read by all comrades. Where similar situations exist, handle accordingly. This is of the utmost importance.

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This Situation Briefing, submitted by the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to the Central Committee and Mao Zedong on 27 February 1960, states that the prominent problem currently facing our province is the widespread emergence of drought symptoms in wheat, which is moreover developing in a severe direction.

At the beginning of the month, the Provincial Committee and the Provincial People’s Committee jointly issued an urgent directive on drought resistance and wheat irrigation. Subsequently, the Provincial Committee convened three consecutive emergency telephone conferences to further arrange and inspect this work. All localities universally held meetings of cadres, Party and League members, and the masses, established drought resistance and wheat irrigation headquarters, and rapidly launched a mass campaign for drought resistance and wheat irrigation.

On 23 February, the Provincial Committee again convened an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee, analyzed the current situation, confirmed that drought resistance and wheat irrigation as well as drought resistance and early spring sowing are the central tasks for the entire province at present, and decided to immediately adopt the following measures: (1) Carry out further large-scale mobilization among the people of the entire province, and rapidly launch a massive and vigorous all-people drought resistance campaign. (2) Do everything possible to tap all water sources and ensure sufficient water for the wheat. (3) Continue to properly manage the people’s livelihood arrangements and ensure the people’s vigorous fighting spirit. (4) Support drought resistance in terms of financial and material resources, and resolve urgently needed materials for drought resistance. (5) Transfer a large number of cadres from provincial-level organs, led by responsible comrades, to various localities to assist in drought resistance and further promote the extensive and in-depth development of the drought resistance campaign.