V. I.

Lenin

237

TELEGRAM TO L. D. TROTSKY

All in code
February 27, 1920

Trotsky

Of course, the Defence Council will not object to the disbanding of the army clerical
staff. [1] All the symptoms are that Poland will present us with absolutely
unreasonable, even arrogant terms. All attention must be directed
to preparing, strengthening the Western Front. I should
think extraordinary measures essential for rapid transportation of everything possible to the Western Front from
Siberia and from the Urals. I am afraid we have been in
a little too much of a hurry with the labour armies, [2]
if we don’t use them entirely to accelerate deliveries to
the Western Front. We have to give out the watchword of being ready for war with Poland.

Lenin

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Notes:
[1]
In his telegram of February 26, 1920 Trotsky wrote that it would
be inexpedient to maintain the whole clerical staff of the 3rd Army,
which had been transferred to labour service. The army had only
one infantry and one cavalry division. The telegram further stated that the Field H. Q. had given its assent to the disbanding of
the army clerical staffs and requested the opinion of the Defence
Council. Lenin marked the telegram “Report to the Defence
Council”.

[2]
Lenin refers to the transfer of certain Rod Army units to labour
service at the beginning of 1920, so that, they could ho used for
purposes of reconstruction. The war with bourgeois-landowner
Poland and Wrangel forced the Government to return the labour
armies to the fighting line.