ABSTRACT
For the consideration of party branches at all levels, and of all comrades throughout the country and overseas: Ever since the time when the former Director General was still alive, we observe that revolution has had a long but unsuccessful history. When it was resolutely decided to reorganize our party, already at that time there were a band of good-for-nothing rightist party members who wanted to avoid genuine revolution, for they knew that reorganization and renovation were not advantageous for thieving idlers, monopolists, and those who seek office in order to enrich themselves. They obstructed it in every possible way, and after the First National Congress decided on revolutionary tactics, people of that ilk, knowing that obstruction could not in the end prevail, openly rebelled. Feng Ziyou, Ma Su, and others colluded with Duan Qirui and Zhang Zuolin, and formed a group urging them on. 1 After Yang Ximin and Liu 264Zhenhuan had colluded with British imperialism to cause trouble in the rear, 2 Liang Hongkai, Zheng Runqi, Mo Xiong, Zhu Zhuowen, and others acted even more ruthlessly in savagely assassinating our brave Comrade Liao Zhongkai. 3 Thus they sought to overturn the Guangzhou revolutionary base at a single stroke. At this juncture, when the existence or ruin, the disappearance or survival of our party are at stake, we cannot but take the sternest measures against those party members who have betrayed the party, in order to preserve our party’s revolutionary position. Fortunately, we can rely on the prestige of the former Director General’s revolutionary spirit, 4 and on the resolute and courageous efforts of all the comrades. In June of this year, we swept away Yang and Liu, and in September we eliminated 5 all the traitors of the Liao affair. Thus the Guangzhou base was returned from danger to security, and the cause of revolution, after a detour, returned to its old course. Thus our unity was tempered, and further advances could be expected. We did not provide for the fact that those people, with their unspeakably evil hearts, would once again collude with Xiong Kewu in an attempt to take Guangzhou from north of the river, attacking from three directions, together with Chen Jiongming and Deng Benyin, under the 265command of British imperialism, in the hope of destroying our revolutionary forces. 6 Once again, thanks to our comrades’ united efforts, within two months these obstinate enemies approaching from three sides were eliminated and the forces of revolution were strengthened. At this time, a small number of comrades in Beijing once again announced the convening of the Fourth Plenum of the Central Executive Committee. 7 Now it would appear that, in accordance with the decision reiterated at the Third Plenum of the Central Committee on May 21 and May 23, the Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee can only be held in Guangzhou. For it has long been decided that the Second National Congress should meet in Guangzhou, and also that a Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee should be held to prepare resolutions for the Congress. On October 30, the Central Committee decided that the Fourth Plenum should be convened three weeks before the national Congress. This being the case, and Guangzhou being our party’s revolutionary base, whereas Beijing is a place where warlords and counterrevolutionaries gather and exert great pressure, and given that the Congress is public in nature, how can we reject Guangzhou and go to Beijing? 8 Manifestly, a band of party members who oppose the party has seized a fraudulent occasion and is egging on a minority of Central Committee members whose revolutionary convictions are wavering, with a view to actions that are not in the interest of our party. One of them is Zou Lu. Now we observe that in our party, from its reorganization to the present, reactionary party members from Feng Ziyou to Zou Lu have consistently attacked our party and its government; they have uttered accusations such as “Communism,” “uniting with Russia,” “accepting Communist elements,” “supporting Communism” and so on. This is a tactic used by the imperialists and the warlords to sow dissension within the alliance of all the classes for the national revolution. Since our comrades have no affinity with the imperialists and the warlords, they should not aid their propaganda, 9 thereby causing confusion in the national consciousness. Moreover, facts are facts, and these rumors cannot survive for long. For uniting with Russia, and accepting Communists, are important tactics of our party in pursuing the goal of victory in the revolution. The late Director General was the first to decide on them, and after they were adopted at the First National Congress, they had an objective basis and a profound justification. Now, today’s revolution is an episode in the final decisive struggle between the 266two great forces of revolution and counterrevolution in the world. It is different in nature from all other revolutions in history. Consequently, the progress of the revolution is naturally different as regards its tactics. Today imperialism has long since banded together to exercise pressure on our party. If our party’s revolutionary strategy does not take as its starting point union with Soviet Russia; if it does not secure the great masses of the worker and peasant classes as its foundation; if it does not accept the Communists, who advocate the interests of the peasants and workers; then the revolutionary forces will sink into isolation, and the revolution will not be able to succeed. The reason our party could not achieve victory in the 1911 Revolution is that at the time, the counterrevolutionary forces were united on an international basis, whereas the revolutionary forces of our party as yet belonged to no international union. Moreover, within our country, a great mass basis had not yet been called into being, and we were reduced to isolation and therefore were obliged to accept compromises, which ultimately led to defeat. Things having reached the point where they are today, how can we follow along in the same old track? Those imperialists and militarists are truly terrified lest we adopt revolutionary tactics, and they seek on every hand to sow dissension and to sabotage us, with the aim of making our party lose all its friends and allies inside and outside the country, and of placing us once more in our previous isolated situation. Thus the cause of revolution could never triumph, and those people would finally realize their dream of ruling China forever. Their scheme is truly as venemous as this. A small group of our comrades, making inadequate observations, has always been fooled by these divisive policies. Most of the disruption within the party over the years originates with this. We must recognize that in today’s situation, he who is not for the revolution is for counterrevolution. There is absolutely no neutral ground in the middle. But if you want revolution, you must unite with all revolutionary factions internationally and within the country. Only if you unite as one can you fight the decisive battle against counterrevolution without being defeated. Otherwise, there is no way you can avoid defeat. Not only will you be defeated, but you yourself might fall into the danger of sinking into counterrevolution. The cases of all those party members who have betrayed the party, from Feng Ziyou to Zou Lu, are proof of this. The matter of this meeting in Beijing has already been the subject of a severe warning from this committee, 10 and it has moreover been decided that the Second Congress will meet on January 1 of next year. On December 11 of this year, the Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee will meet in Guangzhou. We have already telegraphed to all members of the committee in Beijing and Shanghai urging them to come south on that day to participate in the meeting. The majority of the committee members are of the same mind, so originally there was no problem at all. Recently, however, rumors have been rife inside and outside the 267party, many of them arising from failure to understand our party’s policy. Consequently, we are sending this circular telegram to comrades everywhere throughout the country, regarding the process of struggle with counterrevolution since reorganization and the revolutionary principles adopted by the former Director General. We hope that every comrade will support the Director General’s views and will not be misled by heterodox doctrines. 11 The future of the revolution depends unequivocally on this. The present announcement is sent to make this known to you.
