– How many destroyers and other armed vessels can you send?

– We can send the battleship "Republic" and two destroyers.

– Will they be supplied with provisions by you in the same manner?

– We have provisions in the fleet, and they will be supplied with food. All the destroyers and the battleship "Republic" that are sent – I can say with confidence – will fulfill their task of defending the revolution. Do not doubt the dispatch of armed force. It will be carried out without question.

– Within how many hours?

– A maximum of 18 hours. Is it necessary to send them now?

– Yes. The Government is absolutely convinced of the necessity to send them immediately, so that the battleship enters the Maritime Canal as close to shore as possible.

– Since the battleship is a large vessel with twelve-inch artillery, it cannot take a position near shore: it could be captured simply with bare hands. This is what the destroyers with light artillery and machine guns serve for; as for the battleship, it must stand, approximately, at the roadstead or alongside the cruiser "Aurora," since its artillery fires at 25 versts – in general, the sailors with the command staff will carry out this operation.

– The destroyers must enter the Neva near the village of Rybachii in order to protect the Nikolaev Road and all approaches to it.

– Very well, all of this will be done. What else do you have to say?

– Is there a radiotelegraph on the "Republic," and can it communicate with Piter during the voyage?

– Not only on the "Republic," but on the destroyers as well, which communicate with the Eiffel Tower. In general, we assure you that everything will be carried out well.

– So, we can count on the fact that all the named vessels will move immediately?

– Yes, you can. We are now issuing urgent orders so that the named vessels arrive on time in Petrograd.

– Do you have supplies of rifles with ammunition? Send as many as possible.

– We have some, though not a large quantity on the vessels – what we have, we will send.

– Goodbye. My regards.

– Goodbye. Were you the one speaking? Tell me your name?

– Lenin.

– Goodbye. We are proceeding with execution.

First published in 1922 in the journal "Proletarian Revolution" No. 10

Printed from the text of the telegraph tape