Chapter 31 Mao became secretary of 1st KMT Congress 1924

Journalist: “I heard that you rose to prominence within the Kuomintang, becoming a significant figure. Can you elaborate on how that happened?”

Mao: “Indeed, in January 1924, I traveled to Guangzhou to represent the Hunan branch of the Kuomintang at the 1st Congress. I was appointed as a member of the Constitutional Review Committee and elected as an alternate member of the Kuomintang Central Executive Committee. After the congress, the Kuomintang established its central party headquarters and dispatched members of the Central Executive Committee to cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Hankou, to organize and oversee party affairs.

In mid-February 1924, I was sent to Shanghai to assist the Kuomintang in organizational work. In Shanghai, the Executive Committee comprised of Hu Hanmin, Wang Jingwei, and Ye Chulun formed the standing committee, with Hu Hanmin serving as the actual head as the Minister of Organization. I served as Hu Hanmin’s secretary, assisting with administrative tasks and earning a monthly salary of 120 silver yuan. This move of a Communist Party member joining the Kuomintang was an important strategic decision. Hence, I held the position of dual secretaries, as I was also the Secretary of the Communist Party’s Organization Department, working under Chen Duxiu.”

Journalist: “Wow, you’re quite remarkable! You managed to navigate within the Kuomintang, serving as the secretary for both Hu Hanmin and Wang Jingwei, earning a salary of 120 yuan per month. That’s impressive!”

Mao: “Indeed, it was quite a situation. In July 1924, I resigned from my position as secretary of the Kuomintang’s Organization Department and recommended Zhang Tinghao, a Communist Party member, as my successor. In August 1924, Ye Chulun, who was in charge of the Kuomintang in Shanghai (while Hu Hanmin and Wang Jingwei were often in Guangzhou), used every means to drive me away. I was at a disadvantage in my struggle against Ye. Zhang Guotao and Li Lisan even mocked me, saying that I was working for the Kuomintang as Hu Hanmin’s secretary.

At that time, I couldn’t see much difference between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. The Kuomintang was also a revolutionary party, and they had more members and received more assistance from the Soviet Union compared to the Communist Party. I believed that the Communist International should accept the Kuomintang and become a branch of it. Moscow representative Sergei Dalin was dissatisfied with me, criticizing my right-leaning tendencies and requesting a change in the Central Committee. As I wasn’t among the representatives of the ‘4th Congress,’ I had no choice but to leave.”

Journalist: “Oh, so they labeled you as right-leaning, which made it difficult for you to continue within the Communist Party.”

Mao: “Indeed, it wasn’t easy to continue. In December 1924, I was forced to take sick leave and return to Hunan for recuperation. I stayed in my hometown of Shaoshan for a total of 8 months. Both of my younger brothers who worked for the Communist Party in Changsha came back to assist me. The Communist Party in Changsha organized strikes and demonstrations, but I didn’t participate. I spent a lot of time at home playing cards. The main focus of the Kuomintang was ‘overthrowing imperialism,’ which didn’t have much relevance to the lives of peasants, and they weren’t interested. I once traveled from village to village with comrades, trying to gather people for meetings, but it was challenging to engage the peasants, and the results were not satisfactory. When I called for meetings with the peasants, often only one or two people showed up, and the meetings couldn’t proceed.”

Journalist: “So, it seems like you were just passing the time, finding something to do.”

Mao: “That’s right. I never organized any peasant movements against the wealthy. I even said to Borodin on January 18, 1924, that such struggles were bound to fail. In some places, the Communist Party organized illiterate peasants to fight against wealthy landlords. As a result, our party organization was immediately destroyed and sealed off. These peasants not only did not believe that we were fighting for their interests, but they also harbored resentment towards us. They said, ‘If you don’t organize us, no disaster will befall us.’”

Journalist: “Oh, so the peasants didn’t welcome the Communist Party and didn’t trust you?”

Mao: “Yes, the peasants had deep-rooted distrust towards the Communist Party. At that time, the Communist Party in Changsha led a large anti-imperialist demonstration triggered by the May 30th Movement. The dean of the Yale-affiliated Xiangya Medical College sent a report to the American consulate in Changsha, stating, ‘Hunan’s governor received a list of 20 instigators, including Mao Zedong, the primary communist propagandist.’ That was the first time my name appeared in the archives of the US government. Although I wasn’t directly involved in leading those demonstrations, due to my reputation, the authorities also considered me a suspect.

In August 1924, the provincial government issued an order to arrest me.

My family in Shaoshan hired a sedan chair to carry me to Changsha to evade capture. I had an agreement with the chair bearers that if anyone asked who they were carrying, they would say it was a doctor. The Public Security Bureau came to arrest me several days later, but I wasn’t at home. I settled the matter by paying them off. Kaixuan and other family members were not harmed.”

Journalist: “Oh, they couldn’t catch you and you slipped away?”

Mao: “That’s right, I escaped to Changsha.”