January 10, 1920

To the Council of People's Commissars, comrade Lenin, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, the Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee Kalinin, the Central Committee of the Communist Party

Samara, January 9. In connection with the necessity of consolidating our influence in the regions along the courses of the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya rivers, which are currently living a completely isolated life, I consider it necessary to organize an economic campaign among this population. The most suitable form for this I find to be the organization of trading caravans, by means of shop-barges together with theater-barges and cinema.

The prolonged experience of work with shop-barges of comrade Malyshev on the Volga would guarantee the organization of trading caravans there as well. Therefore I request permission to transfer comrade Malyshev with his entire expedition to Turkestan for this task. Malyshev himself simultaneously confirms the value and necessity of this work.

I request that the reply not be delayed.

Commander of the Turkestan Front, Frunze

ON THE MARIINSK WATERWAY