Ji and Wang will handle this matter at their discretion.
Mao Zedong
November 4, 1972
Ji and Wang have handled the matter.
It seems inappropriate to expel them (after being driven to death, should they still be
dismissed?).
5 December 1972

[1] This first part was first published in the "Important Letters Digest" No. 270, published by
the Letters and Visits Office of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on
November 3, 1972. The digest said that eight people including Guo Chong from the former
Marxism-Leninism Research Institute study class and Wang Ruolin, the wife of the former
Secretary-General of the Institute, Chai Mo, wrote a letter to Chairman Mao. The letter said
that in May 1966, Chen Boda came to the Institute three times to speak, saying that Chai Mo
did not listen to him and would not visit him. Chen colluded with Guan Feng, Qi Benyu and
others to bring down Chai Mo on trumped-up charges. From then on, he was criticized in
large-scale struggle sessions, persecuted in small-scale meetings, supervised during labour
during the day, and interrogated at night. He suffered great mental and physical torture and
was forced to commit suicide. After repeated investigations into Chai Mo's history and all his
work, it was proved that he was a good cadre of the Party. It's been over two years since
Chen Boda was exposed, and the institute's study sessions have been running for a year and
seven months. However, Chen's crimes against Chai Mo have yet to be exonerated, and no
correct conclusion has been reached for Chai Mo. Therefore, I implore the Chairman to
instruct the relevant departments to redress Chai Mo's innocence, restore his reputation,
and reach a correct conclusion. The second part appears in "Summary of Letters" No. 858,
published by the General Office of the Central Committee's Letters and Calls Office on
December 2nd. The summary states that Wang Ruolin wrote on November 30th, expressing
deep gratitude for the Chairman's instructions. The military officer had conveyed to her the
conclusion regarding Chai Mo's case, confirming that he was coerced by Chen Boda and



others. He also pointed out that Chai committed suicide, did not meet the requirements for
Party membership, and should be expelled from the Party. Wang Ruolin believed that Chai
Mo committed suicide under coercion from Chen Boda and others, not out of fear of guilt
towards the Party, and therefore should not be expelled from the Party.