May 9, 1918

The ruinous process of the collapse of the food supply system of the country, as a grave consequence of the four-year war, continues to expand and intensify ever more. While the consuming provinces starve, in the producing provinces at the present moment enormous stocks of grain from the harvests of 1916 and 1917 remain—grain not yet even threshed. This grain is in the hands of village kulaks and rich men, in the hands of the peasant bourgeoisie. Well-fed and secure, having accumulated enormous sums of money in their coffers, received from the state during the years of war, the peasant bourgeoisie remains stubbornly deaf and indifferent to the moans of starving workers and poor peasants, does not transport grain to the collection points in the calculation of forcing the state to ever new increases in grain prices, and at the same time sells grain in its own locality at fabulous prices to grain speculators—bagmen.

An end must be put to this stubbornness of the greedy village kulaks and rich men, these peasant predators. The food practice of previous years has shown that the collapse of fixed prices on grain and the abandonment of grain monopoly, while easing the possibility of feasting for a handful of our capitalists, would make grain completely inaccessible for the many-million mass of toilers and would subject them to inevitable starvation. There remains but one way out: to answer the violence of grain owners against starving poor with violence against grain owners. Not a single pud of grain shall remain in the hands of a peasant except the quantity necessary for seeding his fields and for feeding his family until the new harvest.

The immediate implementation of this measure is necessary especially because after the conclusion of peace with Ukraine, occupied by the Germans, Russia absolutely cannot count on receiving grain from Ukraine and will have to content itself only with grain resources from the North Caucasus and Siberia, and these stocks only barely, on the very edge, will suffice for seeding and sustenance.

Having discussed the situation that has arisen and taking into account that only with the strictest accounting and distribution of all grain stocks will Russia extricate itself from the food crisis, the Council of People's Commissars has decreed: 1) Affirming the inviolability of grain monopoly and fixed prices, as well as the necessity of merciless struggle against grain speculators—bagmen, to oblige each peasant or other grain owner to declare all surplus grain, exceeding supplies for seeding fields and personal consumption until the new harvest according to established norms, for delivery within a week after this decree is announced in each volost. The procedure for these declarations is determined by the People's Commissariat for Food Supply. 2) To call upon all toiling, destitute, and peasants not having surplus grain to immediately unite for merciless struggle against kulaks. 3) To declare all grain owners having surpluses and not transporting them to collection points, as well as all those squandering grain supplies on moonshine, enemies of the people, to deliver them to the Revolutionary tribunal and subject them henceforth to imprisonment in prison for no less than 10 years, confiscation of all property, and expulsion forever from their community, and moonshine makers, in addition, to compulsory public labor. 4) In case surplus grain is discovered with any peasant or other grain owner, not declared for delivery according to section 1, the grain is seized from him without payment, and the sum due according to fixed