INSTRUCTION
OF THE TEMPORARY BERLIN COMMISSION FOR PLACING
FOREIGN ORDERS FOR HYDROTURF *.
September 24, 1921
1. In order to promptly resolve all issues related to placing orders abroad for mechanical equipment for "Hydroturf" on the spot, a temporary Commission is established in Berlin, composed of: V. S. Stomonyakov, V. V. Starkov and R. E. Klasson, chaired by V. V. Starkov.

2. The Commission is charged with:
a) Detailed determination of the items to be ordered within the approved appropriations, namely: firstly, one million (1,000,000) gold rubles - for equipment for the production of Hydroturf in the amount of twenty peat extractors, and secondly, one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) gold rubles - for experimental mechanisms and apparatus for separating coagulated
»
peat from liquid, according to the resolution of the Commission
L. B. Krasin dated September 7, 1921**. These items should be determined on the basis of submissions from the Hydroturf administration and in accordance with the possible conditions for the execution of orders
in Russia and abroad, based on the premise that only those items for the production of Hydroturf that cannot be reliably manufactured
in Russia by the required date, namely by March 1, 1922,
for the same price in foreign currency, are subject to being ordered abroad.

All items ordered abroad for the production of Hydroturf must be manufactured and delivered to Moscow
by the above date; if it is impossible to meet this deadline for any part of the total need, that part
and the associated complete items are not subject to being ordered abroad***.

The specified restriction does not apply to the manufacture of experimental equipment for coagulated peat; the procedure for issuing orders for the specified equipment, as well as the procedure for preliminary

* Printed
from a typewritten copy; signature autograph.
The last paragraph was added by Lenin by hand. Ed.
** See above, p. 95. Ed.
*** Underlined by Lenin. Ed.

PEAT
93
tests, etc., should be established by the Commission primarily in order to obtain the appropriate technical
results.
b) Determination of technical and commercial terms of
orders.
c) Finding suppliers and concluding contracts.
d) Monitoring the execution of orders and their acceptance.
e) Sending the ordered items to Russia and monitoring
their proper movement along the way, both abroad and in Russia.
f) Conducting necessary experiments, tests, etc., in Germany.
g) Submitting monthly reports to the Council of People's Commissars on the
state of affairs.
3.
The currency allocated for placing orders, equivalent to one million (1,000,000) gold rubles for equipment for the production of "Hydroturf" and one hundred and fifty
thousand (150,000) gold rubles for experimental equipment, is
transferred to Berlin and placed at the disposal of the Commission with
the latter being granted the right to replace some parts of the order
with others within each of the above amounts and the right to directly make payments at its discretion.

4. All issues are decided by the Commission by a
majority vote and are implemented with the approval of the chairman, who
is granted the right to disagree with the decision of the majority at his personal
responsibility and decide any issue independently.
5. Responsibility for the rational implementation
of the task given to the Commission and for the economical expenditure of currency rests
with the entire Commission as a whole and with its chairman in particular.
Pr. S.T.O. V. Ulyanov (Lenin).
Please execute with special accuracy so that everything is ready in Berlin by January 1, 1922 and absolutely everything is in Moscow by March 1, 1922. Reports should be brief, but accurate, monthly. Technical verification is the responsibility of the Commission. If necessary, give bonuses. Do not miss this, as you have already missed it more than once in this matter.

Lenin.