1917 (DECEMBER) — 1918

## NOTE TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY

6/IV. 1918

Comrade Dzerzhinsky, I entrust you with the immediate arrest (search and confiscate all documents likewise) of Spiro, delegate from the Black Sea Central Fleet and from the Tauride Central Executive Committee, on the charge of criminal abuse of office.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1 Lenin's note was written after he familiarized himself with protocol no. 34 of the emergency plenary session of the central committee of the Black Sea Fleet from 23 March 1918, at which, with the active participation of the extraordinary commissar on the Romanian front, Left Socialist Revolutionary V. B. Spiro, a resolution was adopted proclaiming the Central Fleet the "highest organ of administration of the entire Black Sea Fleet, independent of the Council of People's Commissars" (CPA of the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute under the CC CPSU). At that same session Spiro made a disclosure of secret diplomatic information. This question was examined at a session of the Council of People's Commissars on 6 April 1918.

## NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

10/IV.

Comrade Chicherin, The bearer, Comrade Bogrova,¹ was in 1905 a member of the Council of Workers' Deputies, and is personally well known to me. It is extremely necessary for her to depart as soon as possible to Switzerland for an operation (the illness is extremely grave and does not respond to treatment by local surgeons). Would it not be possible to include her in the composition of the Swiss embassy? Consider this, please, and telephone me or we can discuss it upon meeting.

Lenin

1 See the present collection, pp. 30, 69, 76, 84.


## NOTE TO T. I. POPOV

10/IV 1918

Comrade T. I. Popov, The bearer, Comrade Bogrova, was in 1905 a member of the Council of Workers' Deputies, and is personally known to me. In view of an extremely grave illness requiring an operation in Switzerland, she needs to depart there urgently. Her money, however, is in a safe. Would it not be possible to examine her petition on this matter as quickly as possible? Is there an established procedure for the examination of such petitions? Please telephone me your answer.

Lenin

## NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

10/IV - 1918

Comrade Chicherin, Comrade Rivlina¹ (on behalf of herself and Comrade Pokrovskaya²) would very much like to travel as soon as possible to Switzerland. She intends to go with the embassy. Consider, please, how this can be done, and whether it is possible to obtain from Germany the right of passage at least for women (to Switzerland) in general.

Lenin

1 E. I. Rivlina — secretary of the editorial board of the newspaper "Izvestia of the Moscow Soviet."
2 Information on Pokrovskaya could not be found.

## APPEAL TO THE LATVIAN RIFLEMEN

[1918, April, not before 13]¹

I request that you, comrades of Latvia, take all measures toward disciplined guard duty.

Lenin

1917 (DECEMBER) — 1918

1 The appeal was written on a letter from G. V. Chicherin to V. D. Bonch-Bruyevich from 13 April 1918 with a request to dispatch 9 reliable Latvian riflemen to guard the premises allocated to the German embassy.

## NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[27 April 1918]

And what did you reply to Mirbach on his written inquiry?¹

1 The note apparently was written at a session of the Council of People's Commissars on 27 April 1918, at which G. V. Chicherin was present. He wrote to V. I. Lenin about his conversation with counselor of the German mission Rittzler ("the instigator of Mirbach") on questions of requisition and contribution of the property of Baltic Germans. In response to Lenin's question, Chicherin put forward a series of his own proposals for a reply to the German ambassador in Moscow, Mirbach, and consulted with Lenin about them.

## EXCHANGE OF NOTES WITH I. E. GUKOVSKY

[April 1918]

To Gukovsky:

1) Did you have a session of the financial commission of the Central Executive Committee today?

2) What are the voting results?
(a) in general (b) on Roze's theses?
(c) on Zemit's theses?

3) Zemit is being called to the Commissariat of Public Enlightenment for service. Should he not be taken more firmly into the Commissariat of Finance? In my view, he should. (The Commissariat of Finance is weak in working forces—really weak, it must be strengthened; otherwise you will have no right to complain later about a shortage of forces.)

[Gukovsky's response:]

The session took place with Comrade Roze, Comrade Zemit and Comrade Trutovsky in attendance. My theses were adopted by a majority. They did not vote on the same. He works with us. I was just now discussing this very question with Comrade Sverdlov and would like to talk with you.