V. I.

Lenin

68

To:   THE NARROW COUNCIL OF PEOPLE’S COMMISSARS [1]

21. IV. 1918

The Narrow Council

In the affair concerning the reorganisation of the Red
Cross, which has become known to me through V. M.
Bonch-Bruyevich, I strongly advise:

1) that written explanations be demanded ( a) from all members of the committee (§ 3, section I), ( b) from all departments, which should have sent
representatives— — explanations as to when the committee met, where its
minutes are, etc.

It is necessary not only to admonish, but to prosecute a number of persons (they must be found) for non-fulfilment
of the decree.

Lenin

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Notes:
[1]
Lenin’s letter was due to the following circumstance. On
January 4 (17), 1918, the Council of People’s Commissars adopted a
decree on the reorganisation of the Red Cross on the basis of the
abolished Chief Board of the Red Cross that had existed under
the tsarist government, making over its property and funds to
the state. The work of reorganising the Red Cross was entrusted
(§ 3 of Section 1 of the decree) to a committee of representatives
of Soviet, military and public organisations. The committee was
instructed to submit to the Council of People’s Commissars
through the Council of Medical Collegiums a plan for reorganising
the Red Cross institutions. However, the committee failed to
fulfil the tasks entrusted to it, and this was brought to the notice
of Lenin by V. M. Bonch-Bruyevich, a member of the Red Cross
committee.