Chief Administration of Coal (Glavugol'), Supreme Council of the National Economy

I request that you inform me without delay of the current status of negotiations regarding the purchase of coal-cutting machines abroad for the Donbass.

Comrade Smolyaninov informed me that from his telephone conversations with Comrade Grigoryev he has established that on the part of Glavugol' there exist certain doubts concerning the proven expediency of the broad application of coal-cutting machines in coal mining, or in any case, the production effect which Comrade Pyatakov expects from the application of coal-cutting machines is exaggerated.

I request that you communicate to me with complete precision and definiteness the position of Glavugol' on the expediency of applying coal-cutting machines in coal mining production in the Donbass and the effect on increased output which their application in production could have.

Also report where it is possible and where it would be best to purchase coal-cutting machines—in Germany or England—and how soon this could be accomplished.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

Written 20 July 1921

First printed in 1932 in Lenin Miscellany XX

Printed from the typescript signed by