[July 1918]

The Council of People's Commissars is informed of conduct that is absolutely impermissible and pernicious to Soviet power on the part of certain requisition detachments. The detachments have been sent to perform responsible service on the railway lines for the struggle against genuine speculation. It is incumbent upon the commanders of the detachments to maintain the strictest discipline within the ranks; for the absence of such discipline, as well as for all offenses committed by the detachment, the commanders shall answer strictly before the merciless court of the Revolutionary Tribunal. The detachments are to be informed that the Council of People's Commissars is convinced that conscious workers will not permit violations of the strictest proletarian discipline and will regard with the greatest condemnation those who by their actions disgrace Soviet power. If, however, manifest hooligans have infiltrated the detachments—those who do not obey the directives of the Central authorities and their own commanders, or who disgrace the Soviet Republic through bribery from bagmen—they must be immediately arrested by their commanders and by the local Soviets and delivered under escort to Moscow for subjection to the strictest judgment of the Revolutionary Tribunal.

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

Following Lenin's signature is an annotation by V. I. Nevsky: "Very good, it would be necessary to add that the detachments search the bagmen, but not take bribes from them. Nevsky." As is evident from the text of the telegram, Lenin used Nevsky's remark and made an insertion: "or who disgrace the Soviet Republic through bribery from bagmen." *Ed.*