Serve the People

Our Communist Party and the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies led by the Communist Party are a revolutionary force. Our force exists wholly for the liberation of the people and works thoroughly in the people's interest. Comrade Zhang Side⑴ was one comrade in this force of ours.

All men must die, but death has different meanings. An ancient Chinese man of letters named Sima Qian said: “Death befalls every man; it may weigh heavier than Mount Tai, or lighter than a goose feather.”⑵ To die for the people's interest is heavier than Mount Tai; to labour for the fascists and die for those who exploit and oppress the people is lighter than a goose feather. Comrade Zhang Side died for the people's interest, and his death is heavier than Mount Tai.

Because we serve the people, we do not fear criticism that points out our shortcomings. Whoever the person may be, anyone may point them out to us. If you are right, we correct it; if your way is of benefit to the people, we act upon it. The proposal of “fewer and better troops, simpler administration” was put forward by Mr. Li Dingming⑶, a man outside the Party; it was a good proposal, of benefit to the people, and we adopted it. So long as we uphold what is good for the people's sake and correct what is wrong for the people's sake, our force will surely flourish.

We have come from every corner of the country, gathered together for one common revolutionary aim, and we must still walk this road with the majority of the Chinese people. Today we already lead base areas⑷ with a population of ninety-one million; but that is not enough — it must grow greater still, if the liberation of the whole nation is to be won. In difficult times our comrades must see the achievements, see the light, and raise up our courage. The Chinese people are suffering, and we have the duty to save them; we must strive hard. Where there is struggle there is sacrifice; death occurs constantly. But when we think of the people's interest and of the sufferings of the majority of the people, then to die for the people is to die where one ought. Nevertheless we ought, as far as possible, to reduce those sacrifices that are unnecessary. Our cadres must care for every soldier; and everyone in the revolutionary ranks must care for one another, cherish one another, help one another.

Hereafter, whenever anyone in our ranks dies — cook or soldier, whoever it may be — if he has done some work of benefit, we must attend his funeral and hold a memorial meeting. This must become a rule of ours. And the method should be introduced among the common people as well: when someone in a village dies, hold a memorial meeting. By such means we lodge our grief, and bind the whole people together.

〔1〕 Zhang Side, a native of Yilong, Sichuan, was a soldier of the Guard Regiment of the CCP Central Committee. He joined the Red Army in 1933, went through the Long March and was wounded; he was a Communist Party member faithfully serving the people. On 5 September 1944, while burning charcoal in the hills of Ansai county in northern Shaanxi, he was killed by the collapse of the charcoal kiln.

〔2〕 Sima Qian, famous man of letters and historian of the Western Han, author of the Records of the Grand Historian in one hundred and thirty chapters. The quotation here is from the “Letter to Ren Shaoqing” preserved in the “Biography of Sima Qian” in the History of the [Former] Han, where the original reads: “Death befalls every man; some deaths are heavier than Mount Tai, others lighter than a goose feather.”

〔3〕 Li Dingming (1881–1947), a native of Mizhi, Shaanxi, an enlightened gentleman. At the second session of the assembly of the Shaan-Gan-Ning border region in November 1941 he moved the proposal of “fewer and better troops, simpler administration,” and was elected vice-chairman of the Shaan-Gan-Ning border region government at that same session.

〔4〕 This refers to the total population at that time of the Shaan-Gan-Ning border region together with the anti-Japanese base areas of North, Central and South China.

(This was a speech by Mao Zedong at the memorial meeting held by the Guard Regiment of the CCP Central Committee for Zhang Side.)

The base text is the Wikisource version, with four editor's notes covering Zhang Side, Sima Qian, Li Dingming, and the population figure of the various anti-Japanese base areas. The original of Sima Qian's quotation is given as in the 'Biography of Sima Qian' in the Book of Han.

Zhang Side was a soldier of the Central Guard Regiment; he joined the Red Army in 1933, endured the Long March, and on 5 September 1944 died when a charcoal kiln collapsed while he was making charcoal in the hills of Ansai, northern Shaanxi. The memorial was held for him and this piece is the speech delivered there.

The base-area population of 'ninety-one million' refers to the combined population of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border region and the base areas of North, Central and South China; this line may serve as the piece's dating. The speech's date is the 8 September given in the base text.