V. I.

Lenin

584

To:   I. S. UNSCHLICHT AND V. V. FOMIN

16. I.1922

Personal

Secret

Comrade Unschlicht, All-Russia Cheka and Comrade Fomin, People’s Commissariat for Railways

Copy to N. P. Gorbunov

A few days ago, I had occasion to see for myself the state of the All-Russia Cheka railway trolleys , which are
apparently in the joint charge of the All-Russia Cheka and the P.C.R. I think that railway trolleys are absolutely
indispensable for the All-Russia Cheka, and the People’s
Commissariat for Defence (I have heard that the
All-Russia Cheka has two) at the Moscow Junction for very
fast assignments, for highly urgent and highly secret dispatch of small (5–10 men) detachments, etc.

I found the railway trolleys in the worst state possible,
I saw utter neglect, semi-ruin (very many things have been stolen!), total disorder, the fuel appears to have been
stolen, there is water in the kerosene, the engine running
excruciatingly, stoppages on the way every minute, the traffic wretched, delays at the stations, station-masters
completely uninformed (apparently without any idea at all that the Ail-Russia Cheka trolleys should have special
travelling warrants, and that they should go through with
maximum speed not in the sense of running speed—these machines are apparently “Soviet”, i.e., are very bad ones—
but in the sense of the shortest possible delays and waste
of time, with military precision ), there is chaos, slovenliness and absolute disgrace. Fortunately, being incognito
on the trolley, I was able to hear and did hear, frank and
truthful (and not the officially honeyed and lying) talk of
the officials, and I understood from their talk that this was
no exception, but that the whole organisation was incredibly
disgraceful, with complete dislocation and clumsiness.

This was the first time I travelled along the railway lines not as a “dignitary”, getting all and sundry to hustle
with dozens of special telegrams, but as an unknown person travelling with All-Russia Cheka men, and the
impression I got was one of depressing hopelessness. If such is
the state of a special small gear in the mechanism under
the special supervision of the All-Russia Cheka itself ,
I can well imagine the state of things in the P.C.R. in
general! The disorder there must he incredible.

I propose: to appoint at once, by agreement between the All-Russia Cheka and the P.C.R. (perhaps also getting
the People’s Commissariat for Defence to join, if it has
any trolleys?), a responsible person who would be close to
the actual thing, and not a high-ranking official. This
person to be strictly responsible for any negligence.

Issue a short military-worded instruction about the
All-Russia Cheka trolleys, about their secret and rapid
movements, maintenance in good repair, storage of fuel, traffic
without delays along the Circular Road, the junction and everywhere , etc., etc. Add to the instruction, by the way,
that at the request of N. P. Gorbunov (who will be doing
this only with my consent) a railway trolley is to be made
available promptly and run to the place he designates.

Send detailed report on execution to N. P. Gorbunov, C.P.C. business manager.

I also authorise Gorbunov to verify execution from time
to time, i.e., make unannounced trips on railway trolleys,
noting down the minutes required for each operation (summons, running time, stops, etc.) and inspection.

V. Ulyanov (Lenin )

Chairman, C.L.D.

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