K. This is the 1st working draft of vol. VI. It still ... - From Marx to Mao

316 MAO TSE-TUNG
this one-ness with the masses, this willingness to carry out investigation
work, and thus also learn the Marxist art of leading the masses
to overcome difficulties so as to make our work successful whatever
is undertaken. Quite a few of the comrades of the various counties
of the Border Region are like or more or less like the comrades
of Yanan. We hope that the model experience of these comrades can
quickly spread to all counties, districts, and townships.
The above is a summary of agricultural work in the Border Region
in the past. What follows are the tasks for the year 1943.
FROM MARX
TO MAO
The major demand on agriculture is to increase the production
of grain and cotton (subsidiary undertakings will be discussed else-
⋆
where). In the light of the present need for grain and cotton, and
also in order to strive for some grain and cotton for export, it is still
necessary for us to mobilize the peasant masses to increase the production
of hulled grain by 200,000 tan and to increase the production
of cotton by 1,600,000 jin. Is there any hope that this can be
achieved? In the six years between 1937 and 1942, it is estimated
that roughly 3 million mou of uncultivated land was opened up and
the production of grain increased by 500,000 tan. Well then, is it
possible in the next few years once again on the basis of opening up
new land and other methods NOT to increase FOR the production of grain by
400,000 tan equivalent to 200,000 tan of hulled grain? In the years
between 1939 and 1942 the land planted to cotton exceeded 90,000
mou and the raw COMMERCIAL
cotton produced reached 1,100,000 jin. Well then
in the next few years is it possible to increase the land planted to
cotton by more than 100, 000 mou, and the cotton produced by more
than 1,600,000 jin?
We consider DISTRIBUTION
that all this is entirely possible.
If the peasants are able to increase the production of hulled grain
by 20,000 tan then even if they hand over 200,000 tan of grain tax
as in 1941, they will still only have to give the government the amount
of increase. They themselves will be able to keep an amount equal
to the entire previous harvest. As for cotton, even if in future we
levy some in tax, the peasants will still be able to keep the largest
part of the harvest, and the problem of cotton cloth supply for the
Border Region can be solved.
What are the policies which will effectively attain the above targets
and not remain just empty words? According to our past expe-