Note by L.A.Fotieva to V.I.Lenin

Vladimir Ilyich.

Don't forget to talk to Sverdlov about Ioffe's mandate1.

Lenin's note to Ya.M. Sverdlov

In the Defense Council we have outlined Ioffe to send to Peter (the [only] authority and for Zinoviev) to put things in order.

Note by Ya.M.Sverdlov to V.I.Lenin

I have no objection to this, but I think it makes no sense, Ioffe is no authority in the eyes of Zinoviev and will quickly fall under the influence of Zinoviev himself. I would consider it most expedient to send Ioffe to Belorussia for an extended period of time, and not to send Krestinsky at all or to send him for a couple of days at the same time as Ioffe.

Fond 2, op. 1, d 24320 - autographs.

1 At a meeting of the Workers' and Peasants' Defense Council on January 12, 1919, when discussing the issue of supplying troops based in Petrograd, it was decided: "To give a mandate to T. Ioffe for the survey of Petrograd. Ioffe to inspect the Petrograd compadre and the Military Economic Department and to investigate the reasons for the failure to unload wagons" (RCCHIDNI, f. 19, op. 3, d. 12, l. 2). Before the discussion of this issue in the Defense Council, the Extraordinary Commission for the Improvement of Red Army Life under the SNK RSFSR handed Lenin the report of the Military and Economic Department of the Petrograd Military District on the unsatisfactory food supply to the military units of the district (see: ibid., l. 18-20). On January 17, 1919, a telegram was sent to G.E.Zinoviev signed by V.I.Lenin and N.P.Bryukhanov with an order to take urgent measures to unload 1,250 wagons with food, accumulated at the stations of the Petrograd junction (see: V.I.Lenin. Biographical Chronicle. Vol. 6, p. 438).