ON THE OCCASION OF N. P. BRYUKHANOV’S LETTER 1
[July 12, 1921]
I advise waiting in the Politburo.
And from
Awanesov and from
Kursky—once communication has been established and the time set—demand that it be done without fail by 2 o’clock. Have them submit a written document to me for signature.
Complain to me.
1 The letter in question is that of People’s Commissar for Food Supply N. P. Bryukhanov, dated July 12, 1921. In light of the Politburo resolution of the Central Committee of the RCP(b) dated July 9, 1921, which stipulated that the People’s Commissariats of Justice and of Internal Affairs were to exercise preliminary oversight over the directives issued by the People’s Commissariat for Food Supply, ensuring their conformity with existing laws, Bryukhanov complained that securing the signatures of D. I. Kursky and V. A. Awanesov on these matters was taking as long as two days, thereby causing delays in the work of local food supply agencies. He requested permission to bring before the Politburo the question of revising the resolution of July 9 and of lifting the “preliminary censorship imposed on the People’s Commissariat for Food Supply, which only leads to unnecessary red tape and delay.”
On this letter, V. I. Lenin wrote an instruction to L. A. Fotieva: “Make sure that no more than two hours are spent. 12/VII. Lenin” (Central Party Archive of the Institute of Marxism–Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU). In response to Fotieva’s note asking what reply should be given to Bryukhanov regarding the submission of the issue to the Politburo and what measures should be taken in cases where signatures were delayed, V. I. Lenin penned the document now being published.
198G)
NOTE FROM L. A. FOTIEVA
[July 12, 1921]
I ask Smolianinov to verify, with regard to Engineer Kogan from Serebrovsky, whether he has sufficiently contacted Krzhizhanovsky and spoken with Smilga, since Kogan was also supposed to ascertain Smilga’s position before Smilga departed for Baku.