[Mao Zedong’s] Comments on the Report concerning the Discovery and Handing of the Enemy Air Dropping Insects on the Korean Front^[1]

(19 February 1952)

Please have Premier Zhou [Enlai] pay attention to this matter and take care of it. ^[2]

Mao Zedong

19 February [1952]

^[1] This is Mao Zedong’s comments on the report from Nie Rongzhen, Acting Chief of Staff of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government, dated 18 February 1952.

^[2] Nie Rongzhen’s report revealed that it had been discovered that insects were air dropped by the enemy on the Korean front. The report said that the insects air dropped by the enemy on the Korean were mainly spiders, flies, and fleas, and that it covered a large area, having been discovered by frontline troops of the 20th, 26th, 39th , and 42nd armies. [Nie’s report continued to state that] in addition to dispatching experts to understand the situation, the insects will be sent back to Beijing for testing in order to determine what kinds of bacteria [they are infected with]. According to the predictions by the experts, [the bacteria] cause cholera, typhoid, plague, and relapsing fever.

对朝鲜前方发现敌空投带菌昆虫及处置意见报告的批语^[1]

（一九五二年二月十九日）

请周总理注意此事,^[2] 并予处理。

毛泽东

二月十九日

^[1] 这是毛泽东对中央人民政府人民革命军事委员会代理总参谋长聂荣臻一九五二年二月十八日报告的批语。

^[2] 聂荣臻的报告所说的朝鲜前方发现敌空投昆虫一事。报告说：朝鲜前方敌空投昆虫主要有蜘蛛、苍蝇、跳蚤，投撒面甚大，前线部队二十军、二十六军、三十九军、四十二军均发现。除已派专家前往现地了解外，现已将各种昆虫送回北京进行培养化验，确定带有何种病菌。据专家估计，以霍乱、伤寒、鼠疫、回归热四种病菌的可能性较大，如化验证实，即须火速大力进行防疫灭疫工作。