Chapter 107 Agreed to solve the land problem in Henan with the policy of keeping the middle and keeping the two ends flat[1]

(August 10, 1949) Central China Bureau, and report to all bureaus and fields: Both the August 6th telegram and the Aug. 1st telegram transmitted to the Henan Provincial Party Committee were noted.We agree to take the policy of not moving in the middle and leveling at both ends as the starting point for solving the land problem in Henan, and not moving the land of the middle peasants at all, instead of following the regulations on the land of the middle peasants in the Outline of the Land Law[2].After the establishment of the central government, the outline of the land law will need to be revised.In addition to the above points, when reforming the land system in the south and other new regions, certain policies (such as not letting rich land and wealth go out, etc.) and working methods (such as holding district and township peasant representative meetings, etc.) must be corrected in the past. What was not done well in the land reform.Moreover, the leading organs of the Party at all levels must fully grasp the leadership of the entire rural movement, and the state of anarchy and lack of discipline in the past must never be allowed to reappear.Except for some places such as Henan, in the most extensive new districts, this year and the whole of next year will not be the period of implementing land distribution, but the period of preparing for land distribution.But during this preparatory period, all central bureaus, sub-bureaus and provincial and district party committees must fully grasp the leadership positions of rural work, and such duties must not be relaxed.All major decisions must be reported to the central government in advance, approved and then implemented.

August 10 Published according to Mao Zedong's manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. [2] Refers to the "Outline of China's Land Law" adopted by the National Land Conference of the Communist Party of China on September 13, 1947.