V. I.

Lenin

687

TELEPHONE MESSAGE TO A. I. RYKOV AND A. M. LEZHAVA

Rykov
Supreme Economic Council
Lezhava
People’s Commissariat for Foreign Trade

The various big timber export deals concluded by our
London Trade Delegation are of great political and economic importance. They virtually break the blockade. The
most serious attention, therefore, should be given to the
precise and careful execution of these contracts, in accordance with the terms agreed on. Please give immediately
all the relevant instructions along these lines and establish
effective control over their implementation.

At the same time there is obvious need for increasing our export stock to the utmost, primarily by stepping up
the procurement of timber for export. In order to make the
latter a priority job, please draft and submit to the
Council of People’s Commissars as soon as possible a decree
on the measures that should be adopted, indicating among
them the organisation of control over the bodies in charge
of the procurement of raw materials for export. [1]

Lenin
Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars

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Notes:
[1]
On September 28, 1920, Lenin signed a decree of the Council of
People’s Commissars drawn up by Lezhava (People’s Commissar
for Foreign Trade) and D. I. Kursky (People’s Commissar for
Justice) on procurement of raw materials for export.