研究政府的反应和采取的措施将眼光仅仅局限于中央政府是远远不够的 。在灾荒时期, 中国各省间的死亡率不但有着极大的差异 ,而且省级政府的行为决策也对灾荒的严重程度和肆虐时间有着极大的影响。我们即使回答了中央政府是否知情的问题, 也难以解释这种省际间的巨大差异 。因此, 本文将利用省级的粮食分配数据和一些历史性的文字材料, 主要从省级政府而非中央政府的角度来考察他们对灾荒的反应和救助 。根据对省级历史数据的分析结果,我发现 ,省级政府不但在很大程度上知道灾荒的实情, 而且作出了积极的反应, 只是由于许多省级政府不肯向中央求援 ,或者即使求援也已为时太晚。再者, 由于统购统销体制 造成的省际和省内粮食销售和调拨能力上的局限也使得对灾荒的救援效果不大 。

This paper is aimed to explain the huge famine from 1959 to 1961 .The literature on this topic paid much attention to the “trigger” mechanism rather than the persistency of the famine . Obviously we should explore why the famine lasted so long and I try to provide an answer by observing the grain distribution system and the behavior of provincial governments .I find that the provincial governments in those heavy-stricken areas behaved confusingly .On one hand, they re-sold large amount of grain to relieve the famine inside the provinces ;on the other hand , they transferred grains outside to “help” other provinces .What made the situation worse was that the grain resale could be hardly delivered to the victims in time .The lagged relief was due to the planning grain distribution system which reacted slowly to the famine and actually collapsed during the famine period .

周飞舟；

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