OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

April 26, 1918

To the Secretariat of the Council of People's Commissars

On the procedure for issuing references

References on matters that have been discussed in the Council of People's Commissars, extracts from minutes, etc., may be issued only in response to oral or written requests from People's Commissars and members of their collegiums, as well as, of course, to the manager of affairs of the Council of People's Commissars and the chief of the secretariat of the Directorate*. To all other persons, references may be issued only with the permission of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. References to whether a given question was discussed or, if not discussed, whether it was submitted to the Council for discussion, or what direction the secretariat has given to a question that could not be placed before the Council for some reason, must be issued to all interested parties. Persons to whom the secretariat, according to this instruction, has no right to issue the reference they are interested in should be directed to the corresponding People's Commissariats or institutions in the name of which the question was submitted to the Council of People's Commissars.

This instruction must be followed strictly by the secretariat.

Distribute this instruction to all Commissariats for information.

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

*Printed from the original signed by V. I. Lenin.*