《英语翻译》课程教学资源（名作佳译）毛泽东选集（英文版）卷一 Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung Vol. 1

Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung:Vol.I The First Revolutionary Civil War Period Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society (March 1926) Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement In Hunan (March /927) The Second Revolutionary Civil War Period Why is it that Red Political Power can Exist in China?(October 5,1928) The Struggle in the Chingkang Mountains (November 25,1928) On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party (December 1929) A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire (January 5,1930) Pay Attention to Economic Work (August 20,1933) How to Differentiate the Classes in the Rural Areas (October 1933) Our Economic Policy (January 23,1934) Be Concerned With the Well-Being of the Masses,Pay Attention to Methods of Work (January 27, 1934) On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism (December 27,1935) Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War(December 1936) A Statement of Chiang Kai-shek's Statement (December 28,1936) The Tasks of the Chinese Communist Party in the Period of Resistance to Japan(May 3.1937) Win the Masses in their Millions for the Anti-Japanese National United Front (May 7,1937) On Practice (July 1937)

Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung: Vol. I The First Revolutionary Civil War Period Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society (March 1926) Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement In Hunan (March 1927) The Second Revolutionary Civil War Period Why is it that Red Political Power can Exist in China? (October 5, 1928) The Struggle in the Chingkang Mountains(November 25, 1928) On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party (December 1929) A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire (January 5, 1930) Pay Attention to Economic Work (August 20, 1933) How to Differentiate the Classes in the Rural Areas(October 1933) Our Economic Policy (January 23, 1934) Be Concerned With the Well-Being of the Masses, Pay Attention to Methods of Work (January 27, 1934) On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism (December 27, 1935) Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War (December 1936) A Statement of Chiang Kai-shek's Statement (December 28, 1936) The Tasks of the Chinese Communist Party in the Period of Resistance to Japan (May 3, 1937) Win the Masses in their Millions for the Anti-Japanese National United Front (May 7, 1937) On Practice (July 1937)

On Contradiction (August 1937) ANALYSIS OF THE CLASSES IN CHINESE SOCIETY March 1926 This article was written by Comrade Mao Tse-tung to combat two deviations then to be found in the Party.The exponents of the first deviation,represented by Chen Tu-hsiu,were concerned only with co-operation with the Kuomintang and forgot about the peasants;this was Right opportunism.The exponents of the second deviation,represented by Chang Kuo-tao,were concerned only with the labour movement,and likewise forgot about the peasants;this was"Left"opportunism.Both were aware that their own strength was inadequate,but neither of them knew where to seek reinforcements or where to obtain allies on a mass scale.Comrade Mao Tse-tung pointed out that the peasantry was the staunchest and numerically the largest ally of the Chinese proletariat,and thus solved the problem of who was the chief ally in the Chinese revolution.Moreover,he saw that the national bourgeoisie was a vacillating class and predicted that it would disintegrate during the upsurge of the revolution,with its right-wing going over to the side of imperialism.This was borne out by the events of 1927. Who are our enemies?Who are our friends?This is a question of the first importance for the revolution.The basic reason why all previous revolutionary struggles in China achieved so little was their failure to unite with real friends in order to attack real enemies.A revolutionary party is the guide of the masses,and no revolution ever succeeds when the revolutionary party leads them astray.To ensure that we will definitely achieve success in our revolution and will not lead the masses astray,we must pay attention to uniting with our real friends in order to attack our real enemies.To distinguish real friends from real enemies,we must make a general analysis of the economic status of the various classes in Chinese society and of their respective attitudes towards the revolution. What is the condition of each of the classes in Chinese society? The landlord class and the comprador class.[1]In economically backward and semi-colonial China the landlord class and the comprador class are wholly appendages of the international bourgeoisie,depending upon imperialism for their survival ant growth.These classes represent the most backward and most reactionary relations of production in China and hinder the development of her productive forces.Their existence is utterly incompatible with the aims of the Chinese

On Contradiction (August 1937) ANALYSIS OF THE CLASSES IN CHINESE SOCIETY March 1926 This article was written by Comrade Mao Tse-tung to combat two deviations then to be found in the Party. The exponents of the first deviation, represented by Chen Tu-hsiu, were concerned only with co-operation with the Kuomintang and forgot about the peasants; this was Right opportunism. The exponents of the second deviation, represented by Chang Kuo-tao, were concerned only with the labour movement, and likewise forgot about the peasants; this was "Left" opportunism. Both were aware that their own strength was inadequate, but neither of them knew where to seek reinforcements or where to obtain allies on a mass scale. Comrade Mao Tse-tung pointed out that the peasantry was the staunchest and numerically the largest ally of the Chinese proletariat, and thus solved the problem of who was the chief ally in the Chinese revolution. Moreover, he saw that the national bourgeoisie was a vacillating class and predicted that it would disintegrate during the upsurge of the revolution, with its right-wing going over to the side of imperialism. This was borne out by the events of 1927. Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is a question of the first importance for the revolution. The basic reason why all previous revolutionary struggles in China achieved so little was their failure to unite with real friends in order to attack real enemies. A revolutionary party is the guide of the masses, and no revolution ever succeeds when the revolutionary party leads them astray. To ensure that we will definitely achieve success in our revolution and will not lead the masses astray, we must pay attention to uniting with our real friends in order to attack our real enemies. To distinguish real friends from real enemies, we must make a general analysis of the economic status of the various classes in Chinese society and of their respective attitudes towards the revolution. What is the condition of each of the classes in Chinese society? The landlord class and the comprador class.[1] In economically backward and semi-colonial China the landlord class and the comprador class are wholly appendages of the international bourgeoisie, depending upon imperialism for their survival ant growth. These classes represent the most backward and most reactionary relations of production in China and hinder the development of her productive forces. Their existence is utterly incompatible with the aims of the Chinese

revolution.The big landlord and big comprador classes in particular always side with imperialism and constitute an extreme counterrevolutionary group.Their political representatives are the Etatistes[2]and the right-wing of the Kuomintang. REPORT ON ANINVESTIGATION OF THE PEASANT MOVEMENT IN HUNAN March 1927 The Importance of the Peasant Problem Get Organized! Down with the Local Tyrants and Evil Gentry!All Power to the Peasant Associations! "It's Terrible!"or "It's Fine!" The Question of "Going Too Far" The "Movement of the Riffraff" Vanguards of the Revolution Fourteen Great Achievements Organizing the Peasants into Peasant Associations Hitting the Landlords Politically Hitting the Landlords Economically Overthrowing the Feudal Rule of the Local Tyrants and Evil Gentry-Smashing the Tuand Tuan Overthrowing the Armed Forces of the Landlords and Establishing Those of the Peasants Overthrowing the Political Power of the County Magistrate and His Bailiffs Overthrowing the Clan Authority of the Ancestral Temples and Clan Elders,the Religious Authority of Town and Village Gods,and the Masculine Authority of Husbands Spreading Political Propaganda ● Peasant Bans and Prohibitions Eliminating Banditry Abolishing Exorbitant Levies The Movement for Education The Co-operative Movement Building Roads and Repairing Embankments [This article was written as a reply to the carping criticisms both inside and outside the Party then being leveled at the peasants'revolutionary struggle.Comrade Mao Tse-tung spent thirty-two days in Hunan Province making an investigation and wrote this report in order to answer these criticisms. The Right opportunists in the Party,headed by Chen Tu-hsiu,would not accept his views and stuck to their own wrong ideas.Their chief error was that.frightened by the reactionary trend in the Kuomintang,they dared not support the great revolutionary struggles of the peasants which had erupted or were erupting.To appease the Kuomintang,they preferred to desert the peasantry,the

revolution. The big landlord and big comprador classes in particular always side with imperialism and constitute an extreme counterrevolutionary group. Their political representatives are the Étatistes[2] and the right-wing of the Kuomintang. REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PEASANT MOVEMENT IN HUNAN March 1927 The Importance of the Peasant Problem Get Organized! Down with the Local Tyrants and Evil Gentry! All Power to the Peasant Associations! "It's Terrible!" or "It's Fine!" The Question of "Going Too Far" The "Movement of the Riffraff" Vanguards of the Revolution Fourteen Great Achievements • Organizing the Peasants into Peasant Associations • Hitting the Landlords Politically • Hitting the Landlords Economically • Overthrowing the Feudal Rule of the Local Tyrants and Evil Gentry-Smashing the Tuand Tuan • Overthrowing the Armed Forces of the Landlords and Establishing Those of the Peasants • Overthrowing the Political Power of the County Magistrate and His Bailiffs • Overthrowing the Clan Authority of the Ancestral Temples and Clan Elders, the Religious Authority of Town and Village Gods, and the Masculine Authority of Husbands • Spreading Political Propaganda • Peasant Bans and Prohibitions • Eliminating Banditry • Abolishing Exorbitant Levies • The Movement for Education • The Co-operative Movement • Building Roads and Repairing Embankments [This article was written as a reply to the carping criticisms both inside and outside the Party then being leveled at the peasants' revolutionary struggle. Comrade Mao Tse-tung spent thirty-two days in Hunan Province making an investigation and wrote this report in order to answer these criticisms. The Right opportunists in the Party, headed by Chen Tu-hsiu, would not accept his views and stuck to their own wrong ideas. Their chief error was that. frightened by the reactionary trend in the Kuomintang, they dared not support the great revolutionary struggles of the peasants which had erupted or were erupting. To appease the Kuomintang, they preferred to desert the peasantry, the

chief ally in the revolution,and thus left the working class and the Communist Party isolated and without help.It was mainly because it was able to exploit this weakness within the Communist Party that the Kuomintang dared to betray the revolution,launch its"party purge"and make war on the people in the summer of 1917.] THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PEASANT PROBLEM During my recent visit to Hunan [1]I made a first-hand investigation of conditions in the five counties of Hsiangtan,Hsianghsiang,Hengshan,Liling and Changsha.In the thirty-two days from January 4 to February 5,I called together fact-finding conferences in villages and county towns, which were attended by experienced peasants and by comrades working in the peasant movement, and I listened attentively to their reports and collected a great deal of material.Many of the hows and whys of the peasant movement were the exact opposite of what the gentry in Hankow and Changsha are saying.I saw and heard of many strange things of which I had hitherto been unaware. I believe the same is true of many other places,too.All talk directed against the peasant movement must be speedily set right.All the wrong measures taken by the revolutionary authorities concerning the peasant movement must be speedily changed.Only thus can the future of the revolution be benefited.For the present upsurge of the peasant movement is a colossal event.In a very short time,in China's central,southern and northern provinces,several hundred million peasants will rise like a mighty storm,like a hurricane,a force so swift and violent that no power, however great,will be able to hold it back.They will smash all the trammels that bind them and rush forward along the road to liberation.They will sweep all the imperialists,warlords,corrupt officials,local tyrants and evil gentry into their graves.Every revolutionary party and every revolutionary comrade will be put to the test,to be accepted or rejected as they decide.There are three alternatives.To march at their head and lead them?To trail behind them,gesticulating and criticizing?Or to stand in their way and oppose them?Every Chinese is free to choose,but events will force you to make the choice quickly. GET ORGANIZED! The development of the peasant movement in Hunan may be divided roughly into two periods with respect to the counties in the province's central and southern parts where the movement has already made much headway.The first,from January to September of last year,was one of organization.In this period,January to June was a time of underground activity,and July to September,when the revolutionary army was driving out Chao Heng-ti,[2]one of open activity.During this period,the membership of the peasant associations did not exceed 300.000-400,000 the masses directly under their leadership numbered little more than a million,there was as yet hardly any struggle in the rural areas,and consequently there was very little criticism of the associations in other circles. Since its members served as guides,scouts and carriers of the Northern Expeditionary Army,even some of the officers had a good word to say for the peasant associations.The second period,from last October to January of this year,was one of revolutionary action.The membership of the associations jumped to two million and the masses directly under their leadership increased to ten million.Since the peasants generally enter only one name for the whole family on joining a peasant

chief ally in the revolution, and thus left the working class and the Communist Party isolated and without help. It was mainly because it was able to exploit this weakness within the Communist Party that the Kuomintang dared to betray the revolution, launch its "party purge" and make war on the people in the summer of 1917.] THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PEASANT PROBLEM During my recent visit to Hunan [1] I made a first-hand investigation of conditions in the five counties of Hsiangtan, Hsianghsiang, Hengshan, Liling and Changsha. In the thirty-two days from January 4 to February 5, I called together fact-finding conferences in villages and county towns, which were attended by experienced peasants and by comrades working in the peasant movement, and I listened attentively to their reports and collected a great deal of material. Many of the hows and whys of the peasant movement were the exact opposite of what the gentry in Hankow and Changsha are saying. I saw and heard of many strange things of which I had hitherto been unaware. I believe the same is true of many other places, too. All talk directed against the peasant movement must be speedily set right. All the wrong measures taken by the revolutionary authorities concerning the peasant movement must be speedily changed. Only thus can the future of the revolution be benefited. For the present upsurge of the peasant movement is a colossal event. In a very short time, in China's central, southern and northern provinces, several hundred million peasants will rise like a mighty storm, like a hurricane, a force so swift and violent that no power, however great, will be able to hold it back. They will smash all the trammels that bind them and rush forward along the road to liberation. They will sweep all the imperialists, warlords, corrupt officials, local tyrants and evil gentry into their graves. Every revolutionary party and every revolutionary comrade will be put to the test, to be accepted or rejected as they decide. There are three alternatives. To march at their head and lead them? To trail behind them, gesticulating and criticizing? Or to stand in their way and oppose them? Every Chinese is free to choose, but events will force you to make the choice quickly. GET ORGANIZED! The development of the peasant movement in Hunan may be divided roughly into two periods with respect to the counties in the province's central and southern parts where the movement has already made much headway. The first, from January to September of last year, was one of organization. In this period, January to June was a time of underground activity, and July to September, when the revolutionary army was driving out Chao Heng-ti, [2] one of open activity. During this period, the membership of the peasant associations did not exceed 300,000-400,000 the masses directly under their leadership numbered little more than a million, there was as yet hardly any struggle in the rural areas, and consequently there was very little criticism of the associations in other circles. Since its members served as guides, scouts and carriers of the Northern Expeditionary Army, even some of the officers had a good word to say for the peasant associations. The second period, from last October to January of this year, was one of revolutionary action. The membership of the associations jumped to two million and the masses directly under their leadership increased to ten million. Since the peasants generally enter only one name for the whole family on joining a peasant

association,a membership of two million means a mass following of about ten million.Almost half the peasants in Hunan are now organized.In counties like Hsiangtan,Hsianghsiang,Liuyang, Changsha,Liling,Ninghsiang,Pingkiang,Hsiangyin,Hengshan,Hengyang,Leiyang,Chenhsien and Anhua,nearly all the peasants have combined in the peasant associations or have come under their leadership.It was on the strength of their extensive organization that the peasants went into action and within four months brought about a great revolution in the countryside,a revolution without parallel in history DOWN WITH THE LOCAL TYRANTSAND EVIL GENTRY! ALL POWER TO THE PEASANTASSOCIATIONS! The main targets of attack by the peasants are the local tyrants,the evil gentry and the lawless landlords,but in passing they also hit out against patriarchal ideas and institutions,against the corrupt officials in the cities and against bad practices and customs in the rural areas.In force and momentum the attack is tempestuous;those who bow before it survive and those who resist perish. As a result,the privileges which the feudal landlords enjoyed for thousands of years are being shattered to pieces.Every bit of the dignity and prestige built up by the landlords is being swept into the dust.With the collapse of the power of the landlords,the peasant associations have now become the sole organs of authority and the popular slogan "All power to the peasant associations" has become a reality.Even bides such as a quarrel between husband and wife are brought to the peasant association.Nothing can be settled unless someone from the peasant association is present. The association actually dictates all rural affairs,and,quite literally,"whatever it says,goes".Those who are outside the associations can only speak well of them and cannot say anything against them. The local tyrants,evil gentry and lawless landlords have been deprived of all right to speak,and none of them dares even mutter dissent.In the face of the peasant associations'power and pressure, the top local tyrants and evil gentry have fled to Shanghai,those of the second rank to Hankow, those of the third to Changsha and those of the fourth to the county towns,while the fifth rank and the still lesser fry surrender to the peasant associations in the villages. "Here's ten yuan.Please let me join the peasant association,"one of the smaller of the evil gentry will say. "Ugh!Who wants your filthy money?"the peasants reply. Many middle and small landlords and rich peasants and even some middle peasants,who were all formerly opposed to the peasant associations,are now vainly seeking admission.Visiting various places,I often came across such people who pleaded with me,"Mr.Committeeman from the provincial capital,please be my sponsor!" In the Ching Dynasty,the household census compiled by the local authorities consisted of a regular register and "the other"register,the former for honest people and the latter for burglars,bandits and similar undesirables.In some places the peasants now use this method to scare those who formerly opposed the associations.They say,"Put their names down in the other register!" Afraid of being entered in the other register,such people try various devices to gain admission into

association, a membership of two million means a mass following of about ten million. Almost half the peasants in Hunan are now organized. In counties like Hsiangtan, Hsianghsiang, Liuyang, Changsha, Liling, Ninghsiang, Pingkiang, Hsiangyin, Hengshan, Hengyang, Leiyang, Chenhsien and Anhua, nearly all the peasants have combined in the peasant associations or have come under their leadership. It was on the strength of their extensive organization that the peasants went into action and within four months brought about a great revolution in the countryside, a revolution without parallel in history. DOWN WITH THE LOCAL TYRANTS AND EVIL GENTRY! ALL POWER TO THE PEASANT ASSOCIATIONS! The main targets of attack by the peasants are the local tyrants, the evil gentry and the lawless landlords, but in passing they also hit out against patriarchal ideas and institutions, against the corrupt officials in the cities and against bad practices and customs in the rural areas. In force and momentum the attack is tempestuous; those who bow before it survive and those who resist perish. As a result, the privileges which the feudal landlords enjoyed for thousands of years are being shattered to pieces. Every bit of the dignity and prestige built up by the landlords is being swept into the dust. With the collapse of the power of the landlords, the peasant associations have now become the sole organs of authority and the popular slogan "All power to the peasant associations" has become a reality. Even bides such as a quarrel between husband and wife are brought to the peasant association. Nothing can be settled unless someone from the peasant association is present. The association actually dictates all rural affairs, and, quite literally, "whatever it says, goes". Those who are outside the associations can only speak well of them and cannot say anything against them. The local tyrants, evil gentry and lawless landlords have been deprived of all right to speak, and none of them dares even mutter dissent. In the face of the peasant associations' power and pressure, the top local tyrants and evil gentry have fled to Shanghai, those of the second rank to Hankow, those of the third to Changsha and those of the fourth to the county towns, while the fifth rank and the still lesser fry surrender to the peasant associations in the villages. "Here's ten yuan. Please let me join the peasant association," one of the smaller of the evil gentry will say. "Ugh! Who wants your filthy money?" the peasants reply. Many middle and small landlords and rich peasants and even some middle peasants, who were all formerly opposed to the peasant associations, are now vainly seeking admission. Visiting various places, I often came across such people who pleaded with me, "Mr. Committeeman from the provincial capital, please be my sponsor!" In the Ching Dynasty, the household census compiled by the local authorities consisted of a regular register and "the other" register, the former for honest people and the latter for burglars, bandits and similar undesirables. In some places the peasants now use this method to scare those who formerly opposed the associations. They say, "Put their names down in the other register!" Afraid of being entered in the other register, such people try various devices to gain admission into

the peasant associations,on which their minds are so set that they do not feel safe until their names are entered.But more often than not they are turned down flat,and so they are always on tenderhooks:with the doors of the association barred to them,they are like tramps without a home or,in rural parlance,"mere trash".In short,what was looked down upon four months ago as a "gang of peasants"has now become a most honourable institution.Those who formerly prostrated themselves before the power of the gentry now bow before the power of the peasants.No matter what their identity,all admit that the world since last October is a different one. "IT'S TERRIBLE!"OR "IT'S FINE!" The peasants'revolt disturbed the gentry's sweet dreams.When the news from the countryside reached the cities,it caused immediate uproar among the gentry.Soon after my arrival in Changsha, I met all sorts of people and picked up a good deal of gossip.From the middle social strata upwards to the Kuomintang right-wingers,there was not a single person who did not sum up the whole business in the phrase,"It's terrible!"Under the impact of the views of the "It's terrible!"school then flooding the city,even quite revolutionary-minded people became down-hearted as they pictured the events in the countryside in their mind's eye;and they were unable to deny the word "terrible".Even quite progressive people said,"Though terrible,it is inevitable in a revolution."In short,nobody could altogether deny the word "terrible".But,as already mentioned,the fact is that the great peasant masses have risen to fulfil their historic mission and that the forces of rural democracy have risen to overthrow the forces of rural feudalism.The patriarchal-feudal class of local tyrants,evil gentry and lawless landlords has formed the basis of autocratic government for thousands of years and is the cornerstone of imperialism,warlordism and corrupt officialdom.To overthrow these feudal forces is the real objective of the national revolution.In a few months the peasants have accomplished what Dr.Sun Yat-sen wanted,but failed,to accomplish in the forty years he devoted to the national revolution.This is a marvelous feat never before achieved,not just in forty,but in thousands of years.It's fine.It is not"terrible"at all.It is anything but"terrible"."It's terrible!"is obviously a theory for combating the rise of the peasants in the interests of the landlords;it is obviously a theory of the landlord class for preserving the old order of feudalism and obstructing the establishment of the new order of democracy.it is obviously a counterrevolutionary theory.No revolutionary comrade should echo this nonsense.If your revolutionary viewpoint is firmly established and if you have been to the villages and looked around,you will undoubtedly feel thrilled as never before.Countless thousands of the enslaved-the peasants-are striking down the enemies who battened on their flesh.What the peasants are doing is absolutely right,what they are doing is fine!"It's fine!"is the theory of the peasants and of all other revolutionaries.Every revolutionary comrade should know that the national revolution requires a great change in the countryside.The Revolution of 1911 [3]did not bring about this change,hence its failure.This change is now taking place,and it is an important factor for the completion of the revolution.Every revolutionary comrade must support it,or he will be taking the stand of counter-revolution. THE QUESTION OF "GOING TOO FAR" Then there is another section of people who say,"Yes,peasant associations are necessary,but they are going rather too far."This is the opinion of the middle-of-the-roaders.But what is the actual situation?True,the peasants are in a sense "unruly"in the countryside.Supreme in authority,the

the peasant associations, on which their minds are so set that they do not feel safe until their names are entered. But more often than not they are turned down flat, and so they are always on tenderhooks; with the doors of the association barred to them, they are like tramps without a home or, in rural parlance, "mere trash". In short, what was looked down upon four months ago as a "gang of peasants" has now become a most honourable institution. Those who formerly prostrated themselves before the power of the gentry now bow before the power of the peasants. No matter what their identity, all admit that the world since last October is a different one. "IT'S TERRIBLE!" OR "IT'S FINE!" The peasants' revolt disturbed the gentry's sweet dreams. When the news from the countryside reached the cities, it caused immediate uproar among the gentry. Soon after my arrival in Changsha, I met all sorts of people and picked up a good deal of gossip. From the middle social strata upwards to the Kuomintang right-wingers, there was not a single person who did not sum up the whole business in the phrase, "It's terrible!" Under the impact of the views of the "It's terrible!" school then flooding the city, even quite revolutionary-minded people became down-hearted as they pictured the events in the countryside in their mind's eye; and they were unable to deny the word "terrible". Even quite progressive people said, "Though terrible, it is inevitable in a revolution." In short, nobody could altogether deny the word "terrible". But, as already mentioned, the fact is that the great peasant masses have risen to fulfil their historic mission and that the forces of rural democracy have risen to overthrow the forces of rural feudalism. The patriarchal-feudal class of local tyrants, evil gentry and lawless landlords has formed the basis of autocratic government for thousands of years and is the cornerstone of imperialism, warlordism and corrupt officialdom. To overthrow these feudal forces is the real objective of the national revolution. In a few months the peasants have accomplished what Dr. Sun Yat-sen wanted, but failed, to accomplish in the forty years he devoted to the national revolution. This is a marvelous feat never before achieved, not just in forty, but in thousands of years. It's fine. It is not "terrible" at all. It is anything but "terrible". "It's terrible!" is obviously a theory for combating the rise of the peasants in the interests of the landlords; it is obviously a theory of the landlord class for preserving the old order of feudalism and obstructing the establishment of the new order of democracy, it is obviously a counterrevolutionary theory. No revolutionary comrade should echo this nonsense. If your revolutionary viewpoint is firmly established and if you have been to the villages and looked around, you will undoubtedly feel thrilled as never before. Countless thousands of the enslaved-the peasants-are striking down the enemies who battened on their flesh. What the peasants are doing is absolutely right, what they are doing is fine! "It's fine!" is the theory of the peasants and of all other revolutionaries. Every revolutionary comrade should know that the national revolution requires a great change in the countryside. The Revolution of 1911 [3] did not bring about this change, hence its failure. This change is now taking place, and it is an important factor for the completion of the revolution. Every revolutionary comrade must support it, or he will be taking the stand of counter-revolution. THE QUESTION OF "GOING TOO FAR" Then there is another section of people who say, "Yes, peasant associations are necessary, but they are going rather too far." This is the opinion of the middle-of-the-roaders. But what is the actual situation? True, the peasants are in a sense "unruly" in the countryside. Supreme in authority, the

peasant association allows the landlord no say and sweeps away his prestige.This amounts to striking the landlord down to the dust and keeping him there.The peasants threaten,"We will put you in the other register!"They fine the local tyrants and evil gentry,they demand contributions from them,and they smash their sedan-chairs.People swarm into the houses of local tyrants and evil gentry who are against the peasant association,slaughter their pigs and consume their grain. They even loll for a minute or two on the ivory-inlaid beds belonging to the young ladies in the households of the local tyrants and evil gentry.At the slightest provocation they make arrests, crown the arrested with tall paper hats,and parade them through the villages,saying,"You dirty landlords,now you know who we are!"Doing whatever they like and turning everything upside down,they have created a kind of terror in the countryside.This is what some people call "going too far",or "exceeding the proper limits in righting a wrong",or"really too much".Such talk may seem plausible,but in fact it is wrong.First,the local tyrants,evil gentry and lawless landlords have themselves driven the peasants to this.For ages they have used their power to tyrannize over the peasants and trample them underfoot;that is why the peasants have reacted so strongly.The most violent revolts and the most serious disorders have invariably occurred in places where the local tyrants,evil gentry and lawless landlords perpetrated the worst outrages.The peasants are clear- sighted.Who is bad and who is not,who is the worst and who is not quite so vicious,who deserves severe punishment and who deserves to be let off lightly-the peasants keep clear accounts,and very seldom has the punishment exceeded the crime.Secondly,a revolution is not a dinner party,or writing an essay,or painting a picture,or doing embroidery;it cannot be so refined,so leisurely and gentle,so temperate,kind,courteous,restrained and magnanimous.[4]A revolution is an insurrection,an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.A rural revolution is a revolution by which the peasantry overthrows the power of the feudal landlord class.Without using the greatest force,the peasants cannot possibly overthrow the deep-rooted authority of the landlords which has lasted for thousands of years.The rural areas need a mighty revolutionary upsurge,for it alone can rouse the people in their millions to become a powerful force.All the actions mentioned here which have been labeled as"going too far"flow from the power of the peasants,which has been called forth by the mighty revolutionary upsurge in the countryside.It was highly necessary for such things to be done in the second period of the peasant movement,the period of revolutionary action.In this period it was necessary to establish the absolute authority of the peasants.It was necessary to forbid malicious criticism of the peasant associations.It was necessary to overthrow the whole authority of the gentry,to strike them to the ground and keep them there.There is revolutionary significance in all the actions which were labeled as"going too far"in this period.To put it bluntly,it is necessary to create terror for a while in every rural area,or otherwise it would be impossible to suppress the activities of the counter-revolutionaries in the countryside or overthrow the authority of the gentry.Proper limits have to be exceeded in order to right a wrong,or else the wrong cannot be righted.5 Those who talk about the peasants "going too far"seem at first sight to be different from those who say "It's terrible!"as mentioned earlier, but in essence they proceed from the same standpoint and likewise voice a landlord theory that upholds the interests of the privileged classes.Since this theory impedes the rise of the peasant movement and so disrupts the revolution,we must firmly oppose it. THE "MOVEMENT OF THE RIFFRAFF" The right-wing of the Kuomintang says,"The peasant movement is a movement of the riffraff,of

peasant association allows the landlord no say and sweeps away his prestige. This amounts to striking the landlord down to the dust and keeping him there. The peasants threaten, "We will put you in the other register!" They fine the local tyrants and evil gentry, they demand contributions from them, and they smash their sedan-chairs. People swarm into the houses of local tyrants and evil gentry who are against the peasant association, slaughter their pigs and consume their grain. They even loll for a minute or two on the ivory-inlaid beds belonging to the young ladies in the households of the local tyrants and evil gentry. At the slightest provocation they make arrests, crown the arrested with tall paper hats, and parade them through the villages, saying, "You dirty landlords, now you know who we are!" Doing whatever they like and turning everything upside down, they have created a kind of terror in the countryside. This is what some people call "going too far", or "exceeding the proper limits in righting a wrong", or "really too much". Such talk may seem plausible, but in fact it is wrong. First, the local tyrants, evil gentry and lawless landlords have themselves driven the peasants to this. For ages they have used their power to tyrannize over the peasants and trample them underfoot; that is why the peasants have reacted so strongly. The most violent revolts and the most serious disorders have invariably occurred in places where the local tyrants, evil gentry and lawless landlords perpetrated the worst outrages. The peasants are clear￾sighted. Who is bad and who is not, who is the worst and who is not quite so vicious, who deserves severe punishment and who deserves to be let off lightly-the peasants keep clear accounts, and very seldom has the punishment exceeded the crime. Secondly, a revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. [4] A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another. A rural revolution is a revolution by which the peasantry overthrows the power of the feudal landlord class. Without using the greatest force, the peasants cannot possibly overthrow the deep-rooted authority of the landlords which has lasted for thousands of years. The rural areas need a mighty revolutionary upsurge, for it alone can rouse the people in their millions to become a powerful force. All the actions mentioned here which have been labeled as "going too far" flow from the power of the peasants, which has been called forth by the mighty revolutionary upsurge in the countryside. It was highly necessary for such things to be done in the second period of the peasant movement, the period of revolutionary action. In this period it was necessary to establish the absolute authority of the peasants. It was necessary to forbid malicious criticism of the peasant associations. It was necessary to overthrow the whole authority of the gentry, to strike them to the ground and keep them there. There is revolutionary significance in all the actions which were labeled as "going too far" in this period. To put it bluntly, it is necessary to create terror for a while in every rural area, or otherwise it would be impossible to suppress the activities of the counter-revolutionaries in the countryside or overthrow the authority of the gentry. Proper limits have to be exceeded in order to right a wrong, or else the wrong cannot be righted. [5] Those who talk about the peasants "going too far" seem at first sight to be different from those who say "It's terrible!" as mentioned earlier, but in essence they proceed from the same standpoint and likewise voice a landlord theory that upholds the interests of the privileged classes. Since this theory impedes the rise of the peasant movement and so disrupts the revolution, we must firmly oppose it. THE "MOVEMENT OF THE RIFFRAFF" The right-wing of the Kuomintang says, "The peasant movement is a movement of the riffraff, of

the lazy peasants."This view is current in Changsha.When I was in the countryside,I heard the gentry say,"It is all right to set up peasant associations,but the people now running them are no good.They ought to be replaced!"This opinion comes to the same thing as what the right-wingers are saying;according to both it is all right to have a peasant movement(the movement is already in being and no one dare say otherwise),but they say that the people running it are no good and they particularly hate those in charge of the associations at the lower levels,calling them "riffraff".In short,all those whom the gentry had despised,those whom they had trodden into the dirt,people with no place in society,people with no right to speak,have now audaciously lifted up their heads. They have not only lifted up their heads but taken power into their hands.They are now running the township peasant associations(at the lowest level),which they have turned into something fierce and formidable.They have raised their rough,work-soiled hands and laid them on the gentry.They tether the evil gentry with ropes,crown them with tall paper-hats and parade them through the villages.(In Hsiangtan and Hsianghsiang they call this "parading through the township"and in Liling "parading through the fields".)Not a day passes but they drum some harsh,pitiless words of denunciation into these gentry's ears.They are issuing orders and are running everything.Those who used to rank lowest now rank above everybody else;and so this is called "turning things upside down". VANGUARDS OF THE REVOLUTION Where there are two opposite approaches to things and people,two opposite views emerge."It's terrible!"and "It's fine!","riffraff"and "vanguards of the revolution"-here are apt examples We said above that the peasants have accomplished a revolutionary task which had been left unaccomplished for many years and have done an important job for the national revolution.But has this great revolutionary task,this important revolutionary work,been performed by all the peasants? No.There are three kinds of peasants,the rich,the middle and the poor peasants.The three live in different circumstances and so have different views about the revolution In the first period,what appealed to the rich peasants was the talk about the Northern Expeditionary Army's sustaining a crushing defeat in Kiangsi,about Chiang Kai-shek's being wounded in the leg [6]and flying back to Kwangtung,[7]and about Wu Pei-fu's [8]recapturing Yuehchow.The peasant associations would certainly not last and the Three People's Principles [9]could never prevail,because they had never been heard of before.Thus an official of the township peasant association(generally one of the"riffraff"type)would walk into the house of a rich peasant,register in hand,and say,"Will you please join the peasant association?"How would the rich peasant answer?A tolerably well- behaved one would say,"Peasant association?I have lived here for decades,tilling my land.I never heard of such a thing before,yet I've managed to live all right.I advise you to give it up!"A really vicious rich peasant would say,"Peasant association!Nonsense!Association for getting your head chopped off!Don't get people into trouble!"Yet,surprisingly enough,the peasant associations have now been established several months,and have even dared to stand up to the gentry.The gentry of the neighbourhood who refused to surrender their opium pipes were arrested by the associations and paraded through the villages.In the county towns,moreover,some big landlords were put to death,like Yen Jung-chiu of Hsiangtan and Yang Chih-tse of Ninghsiang.On the anniversary of the October Revolution,at the time of the anti-British rally and of the great celebrations of the victory of the Northern Expedition,tens of thousands of peasants in every township,holding high their

the lazy peasants." This view is current in Changsha. When I was in the countryside, I heard the gentry say, "It is all right to set up peasant associations, but the people now running them are no good. They ought to be replaced!" This opinion comes to the same thing as what the right-wingers are saying; according to both it is all right to have a peasant movement (the movement is already in being and no one dare say otherwise), but they say that the people running it are no good and they particularly hate those in charge of the associations at the lower levels, calling them "riffraff". In short, all those whom the gentry had despised, those whom they had trodden into the dirt, people with no place in society, people with no right to speak, have now audaciously lifted up their heads. They have not only lifted up their heads but taken power into their hands. They are now running the township peasant associations (at the lowest level), which they have turned into something fierce and formidable. They have raised their rough, work-soiled hands and laid them on the gentry. They tether the evil gentry with ropes, crown them with tall paper-hats and parade them through the villages. (In Hsiangtan and Hsianghsiang they call this "parading through the township" and in Liling "parading through the fields".) Not a day passes but they drum some harsh, pitiless words of denunciation into these gentry's ears. They are issuing orders and are running everything. Those who used to rank lowest now rank above everybody else; and so this is called "turning things upside down". VANGUARDS OF THE REVOLUTION Where there are two opposite approaches to things and people, two opposite views emerge. "It's terrible!" and "It's fine!", "riffraff" and "vanguards of the revolution"-here are apt examples. We said above that the peasants have accomplished a revolutionary task which had been left unaccomplished for many years and have done an important job for the national revolution. But has this great revolutionary task, this important revolutionary work, been performed by all the peasants? No. There are three kinds of peasants, the rich, the middle and the poor peasants. The three live in different circumstances and so have different views about the revolution In the first period, what appealed to the rich peasants was the talk about the Northern Expeditionary Army's sustaining a crushing defeat in Kiangsi, about Chiang Kai-shek's being wounded in the leg [6] and flying back to Kwangtung, [7] and about Wu Pei-fu's [8] recapturing Yuehchow. The peasant associations would certainly not last and the Three People's Principles [9] could never prevail, because they had never been heard of before. Thus an official of the township peasant association (generally one of the "riffraff" type) would walk into the house of a rich peasant, register in hand, and say, "Will you please join the peasant association?" How would the rich peasant answer? A tolerably well￾behaved one would say, "Peasant association? I have lived here for decades, tilling my land. I never heard of such a thing before, yet I've managed to live all right. I advise you to give it up!" A really vicious rich peasant would say, "Peasant association! Nonsense! Association for getting your head chopped off! Don't get people into trouble!" Yet, surprisingly enough, the peasant associations have now been established several months, and have even dared to stand up to the gentry. The gentry of the neighbourhood who refused to surrender their opium pipes were arrested by the associations and paraded through the villages. In the county towns, moreover, some big landlords were put to death, like Yen Jung-chiu of Hsiangtan and Yang Chih-tse of Ninghsiang. On the anniversary of the October Revolution, at the time of the anti-British rally and of the great celebrations of the victory of the Northern Expedition, tens of thousands of peasants in every township, holding high their

banners,big and small,along with their carrying-poles and hoes,demonstrated in massive, streaming columns.It was only then that the rich peasants began to get perplexed and alarmed. During the great victory celebrations of the Northern Expedition,they learned that Kiukiang had been taken,that Chiang Kai-shek had not been wounded in the leg and that Wu Pei-fu had been defeated after all.What is more,they saw such slogans as "Long live the Three People's Principles!""Long live the peasant associations!"and"Long live the peasants!"clearly written on the "red and green proclamations"."What?"wondered the rich peasants,greatly perplexed and alarmed,"Long live the peasants!'Are these people now to be regarded as emperors?[10]'So the peasant associations are putting on grand airs.People from the associations say to the rich peasants, "We'll enter you in the other register,"or,"In another month,the admission fee will be ten yuan a head!"Only under the impact of all this are the rich peasants tardily joining the associations,[11] some paying fifty cents or a yuan for admission(the regular fee being a mere ten coppers),some securing admission only after asking other people to put in a good word for them.But there are quite a number of die-herds who have not joined to this day.When the rich peasants join the associations,they generally enter the name of some sixty or seventy year-old member of the family, for they are in constant dread of "conscription".After joining,the rich peasants are not keen on doing any work for the associations.They remain inactive throughout. How about the middle peasants?Theirs is a vacillating attitude. They think that the revolution will not bring them much good.They have rice cooking in their pots and no creditors knocking on their doors at midnight.They,too,judging a thing by whether it ever existed before,knit their brows and think to themselves,"Can the peasant association really last?" "Can the Three People's Principles prevail?"Their conclusion is,"Afraid not!"They imagine it all depends on the will of Heaven and think,"A peasant association?Who knows if Heaven wills it or not?"In the first period,people from the association would call on a middle peasant,register in hand,and say,"Will you please join the peasant association?"The middle peasant would reply, "There's no hurry!"It was not until the second period,when the peasant associations were already exercising great power,that the middle peasants came in.They show up better in the associations than the rich peasants but are not as yet very enthusiastic,they still want to wait and see.It is essential for the peasant associations to get the middle peasants to join and to do a good deal more explanatory work among them. The poor peasants have always been the main force in the bitter fight in the countryside.They have fought militantly through the two periods of underground work and of open activity.They are the most responsive to Communist Party leadership.They are deadly enemies of the camp of the local tyrants and evil gentry and attack it without the slightest hesitation."We joined the peasant association long ago,"they say to the rich peasants,"why are you still hesitating?'!The rich peasants answer mockingly,"What is there to keep you from joining?You people have neither a tile over your heads nor a speck of land under your feet!"It is true the poor peasants are not afraid of losing anything.Many of them really have "neither a tile over their heads nor a speck of land under their feet".What,indeed,is there to keep them from joining the associations?According to the survey of Changsha County,the poor peasants comprise 70 per cent,the middle peasants 20 per cent,and the landlords and the rich peasants 10 per cent of the population in the rural areas.The 70 per cent,the poor peasants,may be sub-divided into two categories,the utterly destitute and the

banners, big and small, along with their carrying-poles and hoes, demonstrated in massive, streaming columns. It was only then that the rich peasants began to get perplexed and alarmed. During the great victory celebrations of the Northern Expedition, they learned that Kiukiang had been taken, that Chiang Kai-shek had not been wounded in the leg and that Wu Pei-fu had been defeated after all. What is more, they saw such slogans as "Long live the Three People's Principles!" "Long live the peasant associations!" and "Long live the peasants!" clearly written on the "red and green proclamations". "What?" wondered the rich peasants, greatly perplexed and alarmed, "'Long live the peasants!' Are these people now to be regarded as emperors?' [10]' So the peasant associations are putting on grand airs. People from the associations say to the rich peasants, "We'll enter you in the other register," or, "In another month, the admission fee will be ten yuan a head!" Only under the impact of all this are the rich peasants tardily joining the associations, [11] some paying fifty cents or a yuan for admission (the regular fee being a mere ten coppers), some securing admission only after asking other people to put in a good word for them. But there are quite a number of die-herds who have not joined to this day. When the rich peasants join the associations, they generally enter the name of some sixty or seventy year-old member of the family, for they are in constant dread of "conscription". After joining, the rich peasants are not keen on doing any work for the associations. They remain inactive throughout. How about the middle peasants? Theirs is a vacillating attitude. They think that the revolution will not bring them much good. They have rice cooking in their pots and no creditors knocking on their doors at midnight. They, too, judging a thing by whether it ever existed before, knit their brows and think to themselves, "Can the peasant association really last?" "Can the Three People's Principles prevail?" Their conclusion is, "Afraid not!" They imagine it all depends on the will of Heaven and think, "A peasant association? Who knows if Heaven wills it or not?" In the first period, people from the association would call on a middle peasant, register in hand, and say, "Will you please join the peasant association?" The middle peasant would reply, "There's no hurry!" It was not until the second period, when the peasant associations were already exercising great power, that the middle peasants came in. They show up better in the associations than the rich peasants but are not as yet very enthusiastic, they still want to wait and see. It is essential for the peasant associations to get the middle peasants to join and to do a good deal more explanatory work among them. The poor peasants have always been the main force in the bitter fight in the countryside. They have fought militantly through the two periods of underground work and of open activity. They are the most responsive to Communist Party leadership. They are deadly enemies of the camp of the local tyrants and evil gentry and attack it without the slightest hesitation. "We joined the peasant association long ago," they say to the rich peasants, "why are you still hesitating?'! The rich peasants answer mockingly, "What is there to keep you from joining? You people have neither a tile over your heads nor a speck of land under your feet!" It is true the poor peasants are not afraid of losing anything. Many of them really have "neither a tile over their heads nor a speck of land under their feet". What, indeed, is there to keep them from joining the associations? According to the survey of Changsha County, the poor peasants comprise 70 per cent, the middle peasants 20 per cent, and the landlords and the rich peasants 10 per cent of the population in the rural areas. The 70 per cent, the poor peasants, may be sub-divided into two categories, the utterly destitute and the

less destitute.The utterly destitute,12 comprising 20 per cent,are the completely dispossessed, that is,people who have neither land nor money,are without any means of livelihood,and are forced to leave home and become mercenaries or hired labourers or wandering beggars.The less destitute,[13]the other 50 per cent,are the partially dispossessed,that is,people with just a little land or a little money who eat up more than they earn and live in toil and distress the year round, such as the handicraftsmen,the tenant-peasants (not including the rich tenant-peasants)and the semi-owner-peasants.This great mass of poor peasants,or altogether 70 per cent of the rural population,are the backbone of the peasant associations,the vanguard in the overthrow of the feudal forces and the heroes who have performed the great revolutionary task which for long years was left undone.Without the poor peasant class(the "riffraff",as the gentry call them),it would have been impossible to bring about the present revolutionary situation in the countryside,or to overthrow the local tyrants and evil gentry and complete the democratic revolution.The poor peasants,being the most revolutionary group,have gained the leadership of the peasant associations.In both the first and second periods almost all the chairmen and committee members in the peasant associations at the lowest level were poor peasants (of the officials in the township associations in Hengshan County the utterly destitute comprise 50 per cent,the less destitute 40 per cent,and poverty-stricken intellectuals 10 per cent).Leadership by the poor peasants is absolutely necessary.Without the poor peasants there would be no revolution.To deny their role is to deny the revolution.To attack them is to attack the revolution.They have never been wrong on the general direction of the revolution.They have discredited the local tyrants and evil gentry.They have beaten down the local tyrants and evil gentry,big and small,and kept them underfoot.Many of their deeds in the period of revolutionary action,which were labeled as"going too far",were in fact the very things the revolution required.Some county governments,county headquarters of the Kuomintang and county peasant associations in Hunan have already made a number of mistakes; some have even sent soldiers to arrest officials of the lowerlevel associations at the landlords' request.A good many chairmen and committee members of township associations in Hengshan and Hsianghsiang Counties have been thrown in jail.This mistake is very serious and feeds the arrogance of the reactionaries.To judge whether or not it is a mistake,you have only to see how joyful the lawless landlords become and how reactionary sentiments grow,wherever the chairmen or committee members of local peasant associations are arrested.We must combat the counter- revolutionary talk of a "movement of riffraff"and a "movement of lazy peasants"and must be especially careful not to commit the error of helping the local tyrants and evil gentry in their attacks on the poor peasant class.Though a few of the poor peasant leaders undoubtedly did have shortcomings,most of them have changed by now.They themselves are energetically prohibiting gambling and suppressing banditry.Where the peasant association is powerful,gambling has stopped altogether and banditry has vanished.In some places it is literally true that people do not take any articles left by the wayside and that doors are not bolted at night.According to the Hengshan survey 85 per cent of the poor peasant leaders have made great progress and have proved themselves capable and hard-working.Only 15 per cent retain some bad habits.The most one can call these is "an unhealthy minority",and we must not echo the local tyrants and evil gentry in undiscriminatingly condemning them as"riffraff".This problem of the "unhealthy minority"can be tackled only under the peasant associations'own slogan of "strengthen discipline",by carrying on propaganda among the masses,by educating the "unhealthy minority",and by tightening the associations'discipline:in no circumstances should soldiers be arbitrarily sent to make such arrests

less destitute. The utterly destitute, [12] comprising 20 per cent, are the completely dispossessed, that is, people who have neither land nor money, are without any means of livelihood, and are forced to leave home and become mercenaries or hired labourers or wandering beggars. The less destitute, [13] the other 50 per cent, are the partially dispossessed, that is, people with just a little land or a little money who eat up more than they earn and live in toil and distress the year round, such as the handicraftsmen, the tenant-peasants (not including the rich tenant-peasants) and the semi-owner-peasants. This great mass of poor peasants, or altogether 70 per cent of the rural population, are the backbone of the peasant associations, the vanguard in the overthrow of the feudal forces and the heroes who have performed the great revolutionary task which for long years was left undone. Without the poor peasant class (the "riffraff", as the gentry call them), it would have been impossible to bring about the present revolutionary situation in the countryside, or to overthrow the local tyrants and evil gentry and complete the democratic revolution. The poor peasants, being the most revolutionary group, have gained the leadership of the peasant associations. In both the first and second periods almost all the chairmen and committee members in the peasant associations at the lowest level were poor peasants (of the officials in the township associations in Hengshan County the utterly destitute comprise 50 per cent, the less destitute 40 per cent, and poverty-stricken intellectuals 10 per cent). Leadership by the poor peasants is absolutely necessary. Without the poor peasants there would be no revolution. To deny their role is to deny the revolution. To attack them is to attack the revolution. They have never been wrong on the general direction of the revolution. They have discredited the local tyrants and evil gentry. They have beaten down the local tyrants and evil gentry, big and small, and kept them underfoot. Many of their deeds in the period of revolutionary action, which were labeled as "going too far", were in fact the very things the revolution required. Some county governments, county headquarters of the Kuomintang and county peasant associations in Hunan have already made a number of mistakes; some have even sent soldiers to arrest officials of the lowerlevel associations at the landlords' request. A good many chairmen and committee members of township associations in Hengshan and Hsianghsiang Counties have been thrown in jail. This mistake is very serious and feeds the arrogance of the reactionaries. To judge whether or not it is a mistake, you have only to see how joyful the lawless landlords become and how reactionary sentiments grow, wherever the chairmen or committee members of local peasant associations are arrested. We must combat the counter￾revolutionary talk of a "movement of riffraff" and a "movement of lazy peasants" and must be especially careful not to commit the error of helping the local tyrants and evil gentry in their attacks on the poor peasant class. Though a few of the poor peasant leaders undoubtedly did have shortcomings, most of them have changed by now. They themselves are energetically prohibiting gambling and suppressing banditry. Where the peasant association is powerful, gambling has stopped altogether and banditry has vanished. In some places it is literally true that people do not take any articles left by the wayside and that doors are not bolted at night. According to the Hengshan survey 85 per cent of the poor peasant leaders have made great progress and have proved themselves capable and hard-working. Only 15 per cent retain some bad habits. The most one can call these is "an unhealthy minority", and we must not echo the local tyrants and evil gentry in undiscriminatingly condemning them as "riffraff". This problem of the "unhealthy minority" can be tackled only under the peasant associations' own slogan of "strengthen discipline", by carrying on propaganda among the masses, by educating the "unhealthy minority", and by tightening the associations' discipline; in no circumstances should soldiers be arbitrarily sent to make such arrests