Comments [1]
(July 5 and 13, 1967)
To Comrades Lin Biao, Enlai [2], and members of the Cultural Revolution Group:
[1]
Such matters waste labor and money, are harmful and without benefit. If not stopped, they will inevitably stir up a wave of boastfulness and exaggeration. Please discuss this once at an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, issue a directive, and put a stop to it.
Mao Zedong
July 5, 1967
This matter should also be stopped.
Do accordingly.

--- Notes

The first comment here was written on the material titled "The Masses Across the Country Are Actively Erecting Giant Statues of Chairman Mao," published in Issue No. 280 of the *Cultural Revolution Petition Briefing*, compiled and printed by the Petition Office of the Secretariat of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on July 4, 1967. The second comment was written on a short news item in the same issue of the briefing. The short news item stated: A certain mass organization of the Beijing Mining Institute had previously printed and sold unpublished speeches of Chairman Mao in Beijing, which was stopped by the relevant authorities. However, they recently collected many more of Chairman Mao's unpublished speech materials and sent people to Changsha to compile and print them. They hope the Central Committee will stop this. The third comment was written on the draft directive of the CPC Central Committee on the issue of building statues of Chairman Mao, submitted by Zhou Enlai for review on July 13. The Central Committee's draft directive forwarded Mao Zedong's comment of July 5 (i.e., the first comment here) to all localities, pointing out: "Building statues of Chairman Mao is a serious political issue," and "this can only be undertaken through unified planning by the Central Committee, at appropriate times and in appropriate places." "The current hasty approach adopted by certain mass organizations will not only cause economic losses but also political damage." "We hope you will act in accordance with Chairman Mao's instructions and put a stop to it." "The Central Committee reiterates: Chairman Mao's unpublished speeches, articles, documents, and poems must not be compiled, printed, published, or distributed without the approval of Chairman Mao and the Central Committee. Should such incidents occur, we also request you to put a stop to them." On the same day, the CPC Central Committee issued this directive.
[2]
Lin Biao was re-elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee at the Eleventh Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee and was soon referred to as Vice Chairman of the Central Committee. Enlai refers to Zhou Enlai.