105
TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY. MARCH 27, 1921
monthly figures 1919-1920
1920-1921
2) The quantity of grain collected (by the Commissariat
for Food):
net surplus-requisition
1920-1921 total
for grinding
(for the available
number of months)
3) The number of gubernias (and assessments for them)
which have fulfilled deliveries (1920-1921)
100% for a given month
75%
”
”
”
Tell Senin, or whoever is in charge of this, that I shall
have him arrested unless I get the figures, signed by the
responsible person, by noon.
Lenin
P.S. Two other things:
1) Perhaps there have been other collections of grain
for “services” apart from the “spade-per-sack” for grind-
ing?
2) Have you any data on the “free” price of salt (in terms
of
grain), etc.? (You will recall that I have been asking
for this a long time ago.)
Written on March 2 7 , 1 9 2 1
First published in 1 9 3 2
Printed from the original
in Lenin Miscellany XX
102
TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY
27.III.1921
Comrade Dzerzhinsky:
Please write for me, or have your secretary write for
me, a short (10-20 lines) note about the unsuccessful
Three columns
food
potatoes
fodder
grain
grain
V. I. L E N I N
106
purchase of 400 (instead of 1,000) poods of accessories for
making boots (accessories whose selection was unsatisfac-
tory, wrong).
I need this to issue instructions on what we are to avoid
and how. How similar mistakes are to be avoided.
92
Yours,
Lenin
First published in 1 9 5 9
Printed from the original
in Lenin Miscellany XXXVI
103
TO Y. A. PREOBRAZHENSKY
27/III.
Comrade Preobrazhensky:
The “co-operative” circles, headed by Prokopovich,
Kuskova & Co., are said to wish to make this proposal to
the government:
we shall help you to restore the currency, if you allow
us to issue bonds secured by our (co-operative) com-
modity stocks.
This is ridiculous, because it is tantamount to the
capitalists’ proposal: we shall help you to restore the cur-
rency, if you let us have commodity stocks.
But apart from being ridiculous, it emphasises the gist
of the matter: we must start just now, when the tax in kind
and the exchange (for grain) are being introduced, to make
systematic preparations to “improve” the currency through
the issue of bonds secured by commodities (the commodity
stocks, the grain stocks, etc.).
There must be no delay over this. This should be thought
out, prepared and started, without waiting for the settlement
of the silver issue.
Have you brought all this up for your commission, and
in it?
93
Drop me a couple of lines by 11 a.m. tomorrow (28).
We shall appoint you a member of the Collegium of the
People’
s Commissariat for Finance. This will
not take much
time, but will put you in touch with the P.C.F.
94
107
TO A. I. RYKOV. MARCH 27, 1921
Give your attention to Falkner (him; “her”
*
brother).
Perhaps he will move closer to us and join in the work?
With communist greetings,
Lenin
Written on March 2 7 , 1 9 2 1
First published in 1 9 5 9
Printed from the original
in Lenin Miscellany XXXVI
104
TO A. I. RYKOV
Comrade Rykov:
I have gone over your material on the concession agree-
ment, and am highly indignant.
95
This is either sabotage or idiocy on the part of Dosser
& Co.!
There is a host of useless and ridiculous details (prohi-
bition to light fires, etc.), but the important things have
not been brought out.
The serious matters have been swamped in bureaucratic
litter.
There is no sign of brains, thinking brains.
What is Lomov doing?
You have wrecked the C.P.C. decision (2/II.1921),
9 6
requiring the working out of the main principles within
three weeks!!
These principles must be worked out tomorrow (i.e.,
28/III) at all costs, and they should be concise enough to
be telegraphed to Krasin.
Show them to me before that.
I append my own draft, a rough and hasty outline: I take
the important and the controversial items.
9 7
I think the
rest is less important or indisputable.
Stop the sabotage and do the job properly, otherwise
I shall fight it out in the C.C.
*
Maria Smith-Falkner, S. A. Falkner’s sister.—Ed.