ABSTRACT
Regular troops now number 470,000, and the militia, 2.1 million (the numbers reported by various areas may not be accurate). This force is sufficient for us to persist in the war and develop the base areas before [launching] a counterattack. These forces, however, are insufficient for seizing large cities and key transportation routes, or finally driving the Japanese invader out of China, or coping with possible unexpected domestic changes (attacks from behind) on the part of the GMD. Unless we double our military forces or increase their number several fold, we will be unable to fulfill the task of finally driving the Japanese invader out of large cities and key transportation routes and dealing with possible sudden incidents.
