Comments on the Telegraphic Report
*Reasons for the Formation of Two Leadership Groups at the Beijing February 7 Locomotive Plant*
(August 25, 1968)

Comrades Kang Sheng and Wenyuan[1]:

Here is the material on the February 7 Plant[2]. Please study it. Together with materials from other factories in Beijing, see whether it can be written into a document on Party consolidation, so as to urge all localities to implement it.

Mao Zedong
August 25

[1] Kang Sheng was then a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and an advisor to the Central Cultural Revolution Group. Wenyuan, namely Yao Wenyuan, was then a member of the Central Cultural Revolution Group.
[2] Refers to the Xinhua News Agency telegraphic report titled *Reasons for the Formation of Two Leadership Groups at the Beijing February 7 Locomotive Plant*, published in the 1,383rd issue of *Trends in the Cultural Revolution*, an internal reference special issue printed by Xinhua News Agency on August 24, 1968. The report stated that the Beijing February 7 Locomotive and Rolling Stock Plant currently had two factory revolutionary committees and two leadership groups. One was the old revolutionary committee established in October of the previous year, along with the revolutionary committees of various workshops, supported by members of the former "Red Creation Regiment"; the other was the new revolutionary committee re-established on June 20 of this year, along with the Party branches of various workshops, supported by the "Proletarian Revolutionary Faction" composed mostly of Party and League members. Due to the deepening divergence between the two factions, both revolutionary committees were now in a state of paralysis.

Comments on the Telegraphic Report *Reasons for the Formation of Two Leadership Groups at the Beijing February 7 Locomotive Plant*

Failure to attract outstanding elements from the rebel faction to join the Party organization, with too many of the original personnel remaining in the branch membership, appears to be the main reason for the failure.

[1] Since there are too few Party members in the workshop revolutionary committees to play a core role, yet the Party branch is required to strengthen leadership—isn’t this contradictory?

[2] The Xinhua News Agency telegraphic report stated that, according to the "Red Creation Regiment," during the Party consolidation process at the February 7 Locomotive Plant, Party organizations were hastily restored without fully carrying out mass criticism or fully absorbing the opinions of the masses and developing rebel faction members into the Party. After restoration, over 60 percent of the cadres in the Party branches were the original personnel from before the "Great Cultural Revolution." The "Proletarian Revolutionary Faction," however, believed that the Party consolidation and Party building at the February 7 Plant had not committed directional or line errors, and that the shortcoming was the failure to involve the masses in the election of the branch committees. Mao Zedong drew lines beside these two passages and wrote this comment.

[2] The Xinhua News Agency telegraphic report stated that the Military Control Commission of the February 7 Locomotive Plant believed that "there are too few Party members in the workshop revolutionary committees to play a core role, so the Party branches can only be allowed to strengthen leadership, resulting in the formation of two centers." Below this passage, Mao Zedong drew a line and wrote this comment.