**1919** the food situation in Moscow has become absolutely critical, it is essential to adopt measures, to employ all efforts with a view to the immediate loading and dispatch to Moscow of the grain assigned by Komprod. Military and civilian authorities are ordered without the slightest loss of time to mobilize workers and soldiers for the immediate loading of grain. Report by telegraph on the execution of this order. For negligence or lack of energy—responsibility under the laws of wartime.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

Lenin

People's Commissar for Food

Tsyurupa

Printed from a typewritten copy.

26308

TELEGRAM TO ALL PROVINCIAL FOOD COMMITTEES
AND PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES OF GRAIN-PRODUCING GUBERNIAS
AND FOOD COMMITTEES OF THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN
FRONTS

July 15, 1919

The starving north has entered a period of the most severe food difficulties. Red Petrograd, with worthy steadfastness and the greatest heroism repelling the onslaught of the White Finns and other mercenaries of international imperialism,* is forced to reduce the bread ration for workers to three-quarters of a pound issued for two days. Moscow has received no grain for ten days now. Ivanovo-Voznesensk and other proletarian centers, the majority of factories and plants have long ceased issuing bread. The agents and executioners of world imperialism, having intensified their direct offensive against the territory of the Soviet Republic, are at the same time striving to exploit our grave food situation, speculating on the exhaustion and fatigue of the starving unconscious masses, intensely conducting an internal bitter counter-revolutionary propaganda with the aim of speedily strangling the cradle of world revolution—our Soviet Republic. On your efforts and exertions depends not only the further advance of our Red Army, the improvement of railroad and water transport productivity, the success of the production of necessary state factories working for state defense, and the successful supply of the countryside with all articles of mass consumption,—but also the further consolidation of the victories of the world social revolution.

The menacing hour of food trials demands the adoption of all measures and the exertion of all efforts with a view to the maximum increase in supplying the starving north. Therefore it is proposed, along with the persistent and comprehensive fulfillment of all directives given by the People's Commissariat for Food in the telegram of June 4:

1) immediate reduction of local rations to the extreme limit;

2) reduction in the number of persons receiving bread from state organs; 3) extreme thrift and economical expenditure of grain reserves; 4) in army and military units, bringing disbursements into line with the actual number of persons to be fed and placing at the disposal of Komprod, for supplying the Northern and Western Fronts, any surplus reserves above what is absolutely necessary for the shortest term. On receipt of this order and on the measures adopted with precise indication of what exactly has been done, we request that you report immediately to Komprod.

Chairman of the Council of Defense

Lenin

People's Commissar for Food

Tsyurupa

Printed from the original signed by V. I. Lenin and A. D. Tsyurupa.

14822

NOTE ON THE TELEGRAM OF I. V. STALIN

July 16, 1919

Moscow, Kremlin, to Lenin

The situation at the front demands maximum strictness and foresight in the front-line zone. Meanwhile, the influx of refugees