29123
NOTE TO THE MANAGER OF THE PEOPLE'S BANK*
November 19, 1918
In my opinion, enough celebrating. It's ridiculous!
Let us "celebrate" December 14 with a nice, correct, deft, quick merger of the Cooperative Bank with the State Bank.
Lenin

3'»63
RESOLUTION ON A TELEGRAM WITH A REQUEST FOR AN APPOINTMENT
November 19, 1918
Moscow, To the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Lenin
Wishing good to the entire population of Russia, primarily to the poor and workers, I ask you to
kindly appoint me a day and time for an appointment to indicate a way to regulate and reduce
prices, as well as an accurate distribution of all, without
exception, consumer goods in the country, everywhere without queues. If you approve of the proposed
method, I express my consent to work without remuneration. My residence is: Oruzheiny Pereulok,
39, apartment 41.
Mintz

25'» 21
RESOLUTION ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE MILITARY COMMISSAR OF THE
ALL-RUSSIAN MAIN STAFF**
November 20, 1918
Call Centroplenbezh and write down from their words what
they have done.
Ask
V. D. Bonch-Bruevich
to receive this
Mintz.

*The note was written in connection with the proposal of the manager of the Northern
Regional Office of the People's Bank to commemorate with a solemn celebration
on December 14—the anniversary of the decree on the nationalization
of private banks.
**The telegram from Unecha station of the Bryansk Railway reported
poor organization of movement and service of former prisoners of war returning from Germany.

1917–1918 YEARS
12077
RESOLUTION ON A LETTER FROM V. N. PODBELSKY
November 23, 1918
TO NARKOMVOEN
It is necessary today to appoint such a center in the Council of People's Commissars. Give
your candidates today*.
Lenin

To the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

I consider it necessary to raise the issue of the state of telegraph communications on our fronts, which has such
a tremendous importance in the course of the civil war, sharply before You.

All my efforts to achieve order in this area have led to nothing.
I still have to deal with the complete chaos reigning in the field of telegraph affairs in the Military Department. It is impossible to work like this any further...

I point out to You the main reason for the prevailing chaos: in the Military
Department there is a complete absence of that authorized body or official
who would have full power and bear responsibility for the state of telegraph, telephone and postal communications on the fronts.
I have to deal with dozens and hundreds of institutions and individual
officials, none of whom has specific rights in this area
and bears any specific responsibility for their actions.

Every day a huge number of telegraph operators, mechanics,
overseers, devices, wire, elements, etc. are taken from us. We are poor
both in technical forces in the field of telegraphy and telephony, and in materials... The moment is approaching when we will have neither one nor the other.
Meanwhile, these riches are being wasted with impermissible
criminality, they are being exploited completely inappropriately.
We
see chaos and crime reigning in this area, but we do not know who
to turn to for their elimination. The military authorities do not report to me,
and within the department itself there is no person or institution that
would have the right and be obliged to bring order to this matter.

The postal and telegraph apparatus of the Military Department turned out to be below
criticism. By the time the civil war developed, it did not have
wire, or devices, or living technical force at its disposal.
I have no doubt that this was not done without treason and sabotage. All materials and living technical force began to be provided by the Commissariat
of Posts and Telegraphs. Now this wealth is being wasted by the Military
Department without any system. It is also quite possible that such a
criminal line is being pursued: to waste our telegraphic technical forces,
and then leave the front without communication.

In order to avoid reproaches to our department for sabotage, so far
I have given the front everything that was required, taking at the same time heroic
efforts to achieve the establishment of order in this area in the Military Department...

The only way out of the situation is to immediately create that
authorized body that would have the right to dictatorially dispose
of matters of telegraph, telephone and postal communications on the fronts. It is
necessary to immediately convene a meeting of those representatives of the Military
Department who have the right to form such a plenipotentiary body.
I ask You to make an order to convene such a meeting and invite representatives of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs to it.
*According to the decision of the Council of People's Commissars of November 26, 1918, the Supreme Commission for Telegraph Communications was established (protocol No. 226, item 2).