V. I. Lenin

Source: en:CW/CW45; ru:PSS/v52;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. Voikov refers to statements he allegedly heard from Krasin that it is impossible to trade with Constantinople because the people there are swindlers.

If Krasin did say that, he will one day be brought to trial for it. Krasin was obliged either strictly to carry out the decision of the Council of Labour and Defence of March 25, or to submit to the Central Committee a proposal for the annulment of that decision of the Council of Labour and Defence, or to satisfy the South-Eastern Economic Council in some other way, not through Constantinople (this third alternative being a gamble on “luck”).

By doing neither the one, nor the other, nor the third, Krasin is violating the law and disrupting all work.

This will not do.

I request you:

1) to send a copy of this (or the original) to Krasin,

2) to have a personal talk with Frumkin and Khinchuk,

3) personally to check the fulfilment of the decisions of the Council of Labour and Defence, without relying on Voikov,

4) to give serious thought to replacing Voikov by Taratuta or Paikes, or anyone else you like, a businesslike and efficient person.

As regards Serebrovsky and Baku, I am now extremely afraid that the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Trade will repeat the story of the South-East.

I will not tolerate this on any account.

I propose sending Serebrovsky and Rabinovich the following telegram in my name. Please let me have your objections or amendments immediately.

“Baku, Serebrovsky, copies to Rabinovich and Ordzhonikidze, Baku or Tiflis.

I am extremely worried about the contract concluded by Serebrovsky with Sosifross, and surprised that Rabinovich reported it, unfortunately without comments and without practical proposals, while Serebrovsky himself did not report it. The contract is a strange one. What guarantees are there that Sosifross will not cheat? How could he be given a monopoly? I am not at all against direct trade by the Azvneshtorg and Azneftkom with Constantinople, I am prepared to support considerable autonomy for Baku, but guarantees are needed. I request you to reply to me immediately whether an exact inventory of everything bought by Serebrovsky in Constantinople has been sent by a reliable courier; when exactly it was sent, and details about the contract, and when. I make it incumbent on Serebrovsky to send a letter by every courier, informing me by telegraph of the courier’s name and date of departure. What exactly has now been ordered from Sosifross. All three addressees are obliged to reply to me by telegraph. Secret. In cipher.*

Chairman, Council of Labour and Defence, Lenin”

Have you any news from Sammer? What is being done there? Does he send you reports? How often? Detailed or brief? Drop me a line.

With communist greetings, Lenin