The Journal *Communist* and the Building of the Party’s Mobilization Capacity during the War of Resistance against Japan

The journal *Communist* was a theoretical organ of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. It was first published in October 1939 and ceased publication in August 1941, with a total of 19 issues. This period coincided with the Kuomintang’s vigorous implementation of anti-Communist policies and a serious regression in the Anti-Japanese National United Front. The War of Resistance against Japan was both a military war and a war for people’s hearts. Only through effective mobilization work could it be possible to form “an ocean that engulfs the enemy in ruin,” to create “a condition that remedies defects in weapons and the like,” and to establish “a prerequisite for overcoming all war-time difficulties.” [1]1 This phrasing is drawn from Mao Zedong’s 1938 essay “On Protracted War,” where he describes the mobilization of the masses as creating an “ocean” to engulf the enemy and as a condition for overcoming material deficiencies. At this critical juncture of survival or extinction, the journal *Communist* proposed that Communist Party members must undertake the urgent task of “mobilizing the masses to overcome the dangers of capitulation, the dangers of splits, and the dangers of retrogression.” To this end, it published many targeted, instructive, and referential documents and articles, promptly guiding and assisting Party organizations at all levels and the broad masses of Party members in strengthening their mobilization capacity, thereby playing a historical role in consolidating strength to win the nationwide victory in the War of Resistance.

《共产党人》杂志是中共中央创办的党内理论刊物，创刊于1939年10月，停刊于1941年8月，共出版19期。该时期正处于国民党大力推行反共政策，抗日民族统一战线出现严重倒退之际。抗日战争既是军事战，也是人心战，只有通过卓有成效的动员工作，才能汇成“陷敌于灭顶之灾的汪洋大海”，形成“弥补武器等等缺陷的补救条件”与“克服一切战争困难的前提”。危急存亡关头，《共产党人》杂志提出共产党员要“动员群众克服投降危险，分裂危险与倒退危险”的紧急任务。为此，它刊载了很多有针对性、指导性、参考性的文件与文章，及时指导帮助各级党组织和广大党员加强动员能力建设，为凝聚力量争取全民族抗战胜利发挥了历史作用。

Giving Full Play to the Vanguard and Exemplary Role of Party Members

发挥党员先锋模范作用

In October 1938, Mao Zedong pointed out at the enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the CPC that only by “giving full play to their vanguard and exemplary role” could Communist Party members “mobilize all the dynamic forces of the whole nation to strive for overcoming difficulties, defeating the enemy, and building a new China.” [2]2 This refers to the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the CPC, held in September-November 1938 in Yan’an, which affirmed Mao Zedong’s leadership and stressed the Party’s leading role in the war effort. Thus, to enhance mobilization capacity and defeat the enemy, the vanguard and exemplary role of Communist Party members was of paramount importance. The articles published in the journal *Communist* offered many opinions and suggestions for giving full play to the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members. On April 25, 1940, Yang Shangkun published an article in the journal pointing out that the Communist Party is the advanced contingent of the working class, the contingent of the awakened, and the contingent of Marxism. “The Party cannot be confused with the working class, still less can the Party be confused with the general masses; this is a basic principle of the Bolshevik Party.” He argued that alien elements and speculators who could not play an advanced and leading role among the masses and who compromised the Party’s purity should be resolutely expelled from the Party. On September 20, Zhang Wentian wrote an article in the journal discussing the danger of “Left” deviation within the Anti-Japanese National United Front. He held that the Chinese Communist Party, as the initiator, the most active advocate, and the most steadfast supporter of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, “must first of all demonstrate its exemplary role.” “Toward all those involved in the War of Resistance, whether they are diehards or middle-of-the-roaders, we should not only refrain from being arrogant and keeping them at a distance, but should instead adopt an attitude of taking the initiative, being active, and warmly making friends with them.” On October 20, Li Weihan published an article in the journal discussing how to implement the principle of the Three-Thirds System [3]3 The Three-Thirds System was a policy for the composition of anti-Japanese base area governments, whereby Communist Party members, progressive non-Party figures, and middle-of-the-roaders each occupied roughly one-third of the positions. in the anti-Japanese base areas behind enemy lines. He emphasized that in implementing the Three-Thirds System, Communist Party members must “set a practical example to win over and unite the broader masses, as well as progressive persons outside the Party and people of the middle strata.” They must “use the Party’s correct policies and their own exemplary work to influence and unite non-Party persons, working together in the service of the War of Resistance and national reconstruction.”

1938年10月，毛泽东在扩大的中共六届六中全会上指出，共产党员只有“高度地发挥其先锋的模范的作用，才能动员全民族一切生动力量，为克服困难、战胜敌人、建设新中国而奋斗。”可见，要提高动员能力、战胜敌人，共产党员先锋模范作用的发挥至关重要。《共产党人》杂志刊发的文章为发挥党员先锋模范作用提出了诸多意见建议。1940年4月25日，杨尚昆在该杂志发表文章指出，共产党是工人阶级的先进部队、觉悟的部队、马克思主义的部队，“不能把党与工人阶级混淆起来，更不能把党同一般群众混淆起来，这是布尔塞维克党一个基本的原则”，他认为应该把不能在群众中发挥先进作用、领导作用，使党的纯洁性受到损害的异己分子、投机分子坚决清除出党。9月20日，张闻天在杂志撰文探讨抗日民族统一战线中的“左”倾危险时认为，中国共产党是抗日民族统一战线的发起人、最积极的主张者与拥护者，“首先要表现出自己的模范作用”，“对于一切抗战的人们，不论是顽固分子也好，不论是中间分子也好，不但不应该自高自大，拒人于千里之外，而且都应该采取主动的、积极的、热情的同他们交朋友的态度”。10月20日，李维汉在杂志刊文探讨敌后抗日根据地如何落实三三制政权原则时，着重强调在执行三三制的过程中，共产党员要“作出实际的模范，以争取和团结更广大的人民及党外进步人士和中等阶层的人士”，要“以党的正确政策及自己的工作模范去影响和团结非党人士，一致为抗战建国服务”。

At the same time, the journal *Communist* also clearly proposed some specific methods for Communist Party members to play their vanguard and exemplary role. For example, a newsletter published in February 1940 pointed out that the Party branch of the Third Township, Yuqu District, Yanchuan County, had made “fighting the Japanese, leading the masses, and setting an example” an important part of Party member education. Newly admitted Party members were required to recite oaths such as “fearing no difficulty, working for the Party forever” and “being a model for the masses.” It was explicitly required that in work such as the national salvation grain levy, grain purchases, stretcher-bearing, transportation, and fundraising, male Party members should play a core role, while in work such as making shoes and providing慰劳 [comfort and support to troops], female Party members should play an exemplary role. A newsletter published in May, summarizing the soldier work experience of the Eighth Company of a certain rear garrison regiment, stated that the responsible comrades of the company’s Party branch “very warmly helped the people” in production and “consulted with the local Party to mobilize the people” in land reclamation, thereby achieving great success in production work, and the people consequently “very warmly helped them.” Another newsletter on rural work in the same issue discussed how Party members could mobilize the masses to pay the national salvation grain levy by playing their vanguard and exemplary role. In this work, “those who contributed the most grain (proportionally speaking) were Party cadres and good masses.” In some natural villages, every three trade union members formed a trade union group, and the group meetings were held once every seven days. The meetings emphasized ideas and propositions such as “the workers are the proletariat” and “set an example in everything.”

与此同时，《共产党人》杂志也明确提出了共产党员发挥先锋模范作用的一些具体方法。如1940年2月发表的通讯指出，延川县禹居区三乡党支部把共产党员“打日本，领导群众，作模范”作为对党员教育的重要内容，新入党的党员要宣读“不怕困难，永远为党工作”“要作群众的模范”等誓词，明确要求在救国公粮、买粮、担架、运输、募捐等工作上，男党员要发挥核心作用，在做鞋、慰劳等工作上，女党员要发挥模范作用。5月刊登的通讯在总结某留守兵团七团第八连士兵工作经验时，认为该连支部负责同志在生产中“非常热烈的帮助人民”，在开荒时“与地方党协商动员人民”，从而使生产工作取得很大的成就，民众也因此“非常热烈的帮助他们”。同一期的另一篇关于乡村工作的通讯则探讨了党员如何通过发挥先锋模范作用动员群众缴纳救国公粮。在该项工作中，“出粮最多的（比例说）是党员干部和好的群众”，有的自然村每3名工会会员就成立一个工会小组，小组会7天开一次，会议重点强调“工人是无产阶级”“凡事悉作模范”等思想主张。

The requirements and guidance of the journal *Communist* regarding the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members were both theoretical and practical, both macro-level explanations of guiding principles and micro-level analyses of how to concretely play the vanguard and exemplary role. This provided direction and suggestions for improving the mobilization capacity of Communist Party members.

《共产党人》杂志对党员先锋模范作用发挥的要求和指导，既有理论层面的，也有实践层面的，既有宏观层面对指导原则的阐释，也有微观层面对先锋模范作用如何发挥的具体剖析，为提高共产党员的动员能力提供了方向和建议。

Flexibly Applying Various Methods and Strategies

灵活运用各种方法策略

Playing the vanguard and exemplary role was one important aspect of improving the mobilization capacity of Communist Party members. To this end, it was necessary to learn to flexibly apply various methods and strategies of mobilization. Only in this way could all positive forces be united and organized. The journal *Communist* also offered many enlightening suggestions in this regard.

发挥先锋模范作用，是提高共产党员动员能力建设的一个重要方面，为此，就需要学会灵活运用各种动员的方法策略，只有如此，才能把一切积极力量团结组织起来。《共产党人》杂志在此方面也提出了不少富有启发的建议。

In October 1939, Yang Song published an article in the inaugural issue of the journal *Communist*, focusing on how to conduct propaganda and agitation work. He pointed out that the content of mobilization differed depending on the target of mobilization. For example, when targeting enemy troops and puppet troops, attention should be paid to “utilizing the class contradictions between officers and soldiers within the enemy army, awakening the class consciousness of the soldiers, arousing their war-weariness and anti-war sentiment, and prompting their movement to miss home and return to their hometowns.” Within one’s own army, the aim was “to agitate them to fervently participate in the war, to drive the Japanese army out of China, in order to establish an independent, free, and happy new China, and to achieve true and lasting peace.” In international propaganda, attention should be paid to “exposing the cruelty and barbarism of the enemy” and “propagandizing the bravery of our army in the War of Resistance and the unity of the army and the people, in order to win international public opinion to our side and not to sympathize with the Japanese aggressors.” In June 1940, the journal published an article on how to mobilize the youth group. It pointed out that in the process of mobilization, “one should not recite Party resolutions, nor copy Party resolutions verbatim.” “Speech should be lively and cordial, understandable to the youth, rich in emotion, sincere and frank, not heavy and rigid. Instead, methods such as cultural entertainment and games should be adopted to attract youth to participate in political life and to give them revolutionary education.”

1939年10月，杨松在《共产党人》杂志创刊号发表文章，就如何进行宣传鼓动工作着重指出，动员对象不同，动员内容也不同。如针对敌伪军，要注意“利用敌军内长官和兵士间的阶级矛盾，启发兵士的阶级觉悟，鼓动他们的厌战和反战情绪，促动他思家返乡的运动”；在自己军队内部，“而是鼓动他们热烈地参战，驱逐日军出中国，以求建立独立自由幸福的新中国，以求得到真正的永久的和平”；在国际宣传方面，要注意“揭露敌人的残暴和野蛮”“宣传我军抗战的英勇，军民的团结，以争取国际舆论对我之同情，而不同情于日寇”。1940年6月，杂志刊文针对如何动员青年群体指出，在动员过程中，“不应背诵党的决议，不是把党的决议照抄”，“说话要生动亲切，要使青年能懂，要富于情感，要诚恳坦白，不要沉重呆板，而要多采取文化娱乐、游戏等方法去吸引青年参加政治生活、给以革命的教育”。

At the same time, the journal *Communist* promptly published various directive documents of the Party Central Committee, providing concrete guidance to organizations at all levels and Party members on the work of building mobilization capacity. In November 1940, it published the “Directive of the Central Propaganda Department and the Central Cultural Work Committee on Cultural Workers and Cultural Worker Groups in the Anti-Japanese Base Areas,” which pointed out that “a cultural worker who has a certain standing and a certain reputation in society and who possesses a skill in one area often has a very great influence with his works both internally and externally,” and could play an important role in the War of Resistance. It stated that “all methods should be used to guarantee, spiritually and materially, the necessary conditions for cultural workers to write, so that their talents can be fully utilized and their enthusiasm for writing can be brought into fullest play,” and that “methods of sympathy, guidance, and help should be adopted to a greater extent to influence their progress, enabling them to approach the masses, approach reality, approach the Communist Party, respect the revolutionary order, and obey revolutionary discipline.” It also stressed that “excessively high and harsh demands” should not be placed on them. The “Directive of the Central Propaganda Department on Propaganda Work against the Enemy and Puppets,” published in August 1941, held that anti-enemy and anti-puppet propaganda was one facet of the entire War of Resistance, serving the overall political goal of driving the Japanese invaders out of China. It was necessary, among the broad masses, to “clarify the truth of fighting the War of Resistance to the end and of inevitable victory,” “expose the enemy’s brutal acts and schemes to destroy China,” and “carry out education in the theory of the War of Resistance, education in science, and advocate freedom of thought and free thought.” Another document published in the same issue, the “Directive of the Central Propaganda Department on Mass Agitation Work in the Anti-Japanese Base Areas,” proposed that when carrying out agitation and mobilization work among the masses, “it is necessary to seize upon the facts most immediate and most pressing to the masses, to seize upon current moving examples”; “the language and wording must be vivid and popularized, must be rich in emotion and rich in agitational power”; and the slogans of agitation “must be concise and forceful, must be able to seize and concentrate the will and emotions of the broad masses.”

与此同时，《共产党人》杂志及时刊发中共中央的各种指示文件，对各级组织和党员动员能力建设工作进行具体指导。1940年11月，刊登《中央宣传部中央文化工作委员会关于各抗日根据地文化人与文化人团体的指示》指出，“一个在社会上有相当地位、相当声望、能有一艺之长的文化人，其作品在对内对外上常常有很大的影响”，能够对抗战发挥重要作用，“应该用一切方法在精神上、物质上保障文化人写作的必要条件，使他们的才力能够充分的使用，使他们写作的积极性能够最大的发挥”，要“更多地采取同情、诱导、帮助的方式去影响他们进步，使他们接近大众、接近现实、接近共产党、尊重革命秩序、服从革命纪律”，同时还强调不要对他们提“过高的苛刻的要求”。1941年8月刊发的《中央宣传部关于反敌伪宣传工作的指示》认为，反敌伪宣传是整个抗日斗争的一个侧面，服务于驱逐日寇出中国这个总的政治目的，必须在广大群众中间“阐明抗战到底与抗战必胜的道理”，“揭露敌人的残暴行为与灭华阴谋”，“进行抗战理论的教育，科学的教育，提倡思想的自由与自由的思想”。同期刊发的另一个文件《中央宣传部关于各抗日根据地群众鼓动工作的指示》提出，对群众进行动员鼓动工作时，“必须抓住群众最切身的最迫切的事实，抓住当前的动人的事例”；“语言文字必须是生动的和大众化的，必须富于感情和富于煽动性”；鼓动的口号，“必须是简明有力的，必须是能够抓住和集中广大群众的意志和感情的”。

When carrying out mobilization, it was necessary to pay attention to methods and tactics, and to consider such issues as the characteristics of the target, the specific content, the specific methods, and the actual effects. The journal *Communist* offered many methodological suggestions on these issues through different means.

进行动员时必须讲究方法策略，需要考虑对象特点、具体内容、具体方法以及实际效果等问题，《共产党人》杂志通过不同方式对上述问题提出了不少方法建议。

Timely Summarization of Beneficial Experience in Building Mobilization Capacity

及时总结动员能力建设中的有益经验

Being adept at summing up experience is a fine tradition and political strength of the Chinese Communist Party, and an important guarantee for the continuous growth and expansion of the Party’s cause. The journal *Communist* placed great emphasis on summarizing the practical practices and successful experiences of the Party in building mobilization capacity, actively publicizing them, and enabling them to be gradually extended and applied in work.

善于总结经验是中国共产党的优良传统和政治优势，是党的事业不断发展壮大的重要保证。《共产党人》杂志非常注重总结党在动员能力建设中的实践做法和成功经验，进行积极宣传并使之在工作中得到逐步推广应用。

On October 20, 1940, an article in the journal by an author using the name “Xiao Jiang” pointed out that cadres doing women’s work in Wan County, Hebei, “went down to the villages to work all day long, crossing mountains and ridges, running east and west, fearing no hardship or difficulty.” Matters such as “a mother-in-law’s mistreatment of a daughter-in-law, the case of a child bride, and an illegal marriage—they used one hundred percent of their strength to help the women obtain appropriate resolutions.” In April 1941, *Communist* published an article pointing out that when the Fifth Township of the Central District of Yan’an established a grain levy committee, it implemented the principle of the Three-Thirds System [4]4 The Three-Thirds System (三三制) was a policy for the composition of anti-Japanese base area governments, stipulating that Communist Party members, non-Party leftists, and middle-of-the-road figures each occupy one-third of the positions., with representatives publicly elected by every twelve or thirteen households. A total of 27 representatives were elected, 18 of whom were non-Party persons, in line with the requirements of the Party Central Committee. With the help of this committee, “the township’s original plan to collect 340 dan [5]5 Dan (石) and dou (斗) are traditional Chinese units of dry volume for grain. One dan equals ten dou. of public grain was not only completed ahead of schedule, but exceeded by 11 dan and 4 dou [5]5 Dan (石) and dou (斗) are traditional Chinese units of dry volume for grain. One dan equals ten dou..” In the same issue, an article by Feng Zhiguo summarized the experience of Party members in winning over and uniting with non-Party and middle-of-the-road figures. In terms of identifying and winning over targets, “one should view people from many sides, and not be limited by a one-sided or temporary performance”; in terms of bringing into play the work enthusiasm of non-Party figures, “one must trust them, boldly give them certain work tasks and authority,” and “one must appropriately resolve their difficulties, especially their personal difficulties,” and so on. The journal *Communist* promptly summarized and scientifically generalized the practices and experiences of organizations at all levels and Party members in the process of strengthening mobilization capacity building, which had a positive impact on advancing the building of mobilization capacity.

1940年10月20日，该杂志一篇作者为“萧江”的文章指出，河北完县做妇女工作的干部“整日的下乡工作，翻山越岭，东跑西跑，不怕一切艰难困苦”，像“婆母虐待儿媳事、童养媳事、不合法的婚姻事，她们都用了百分之百的力量，帮助妇女们获得适当的解决”。1941年4月，《共产党人》刊登文章指出，延安中区五乡在成立征粮委员会时，贯彻了三三制政权原则，由每十二三户的居民公选一个代表，共选出27位代表，其中有18人为非党人士，与党中央的要求相符合。在该委员会帮助下，“该乡原定出三四〇石公粮的计划，不仅提前完成，而且超过了十一石四斗四升”。同一期冯治国的文章总结了党员争取和团结党外人士及中间人士的经验。在物色与争取对象方面，“应从多方面看人，不要被一方面的或暂时的表现所限制”；在发扬非党人士的工作积极性方面，“要信任他们，大胆的给予一定的工作任务与职权”，“要适当的解决他们的困难，特别是他们切身的困难”，等等。《共产党人》杂志对各级组织和党员加强动员能力建设过程中的做法与经验进行及时总结与科学归纳，对推进动员能力建设产生了积极影响。

(Author: Wang Fengqing, is a professor in the Department of Literature, History and Teaching and Research at the Party School of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the CPC [Shandong Academy of Governance])

（作者：王凤青，系山东省委党校〔山东行政学院〕文史教研部教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心