26 April 1919

Up to the present time, despite repeated prohibitions, cases of arbitrary interference by authorities and persons, both military and from other departments extraneous to the work of railway transport, in the actions and orders of railway organs have continued; likewise, cases of arbitrary seizure of locomotives and wagons and the forced movement of freight along prohibited directions have not ceased. These interferences and seizures undermine our already disrupted transport.

Considering such disorder to be completely impermissible, the Council of Defence hereby categorically confirms that interference in the orders of the People's Commissariat of Ways and Communications and in the established movement plans, as well as seizures of rolling stock by whomever they may be, can no longer be tolerated; such phenomena will be regarded as clearly counter-revolutionary actions, and the guilty will be dealt with according to the laws of wartime.

The railway administration is obliged to draw up reports on all cases of arbitrary interference, with an exact description of the matter and an indication of the time, place, surnames and positions of the persons disrupting the work of railway transport, and to forward these reports to the NKPS.

1919

This order is to be posted in prominent places at all railway stations and announced in the military department.

Chairman of the Council
of Workers' and Peasants' Defence
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)