Cipher

To Gukovsky. Revel

To your No. 642/1177 we inform you: 1) The interpretation of Curzon's signature as a sufficient guarantee is wrong. What is required is a precise and clearly worded guarantee by the English Government that the sums are inviolable and that we can dispose of them without hindrance. 2) Our right to draw on the account not only for the payment of goods bought in England, but also in other countries of Europe and America, with the intention of transferring the whole sum as soon as possible to a neutral country, should be precisely specified. 3) Presenting the company with the exclusive right to realize our gold is unacceptable.

May 8, 1.

Scheinman.

Lenin.

Fund 2, op. 1, d. 24395, l. 1 - original.

1In response to the telegram IE Gukovsky in his report № 14 of May 15, 1920 wrote: "I have already telegraphed you that the conditions for the sale of gold specified in your cipher in principle accepted by the representative of the British. On Tuesday an authorized representative of the bank will leave London to conclude the contract. He will bring with him a written guarantee from the English Government that our money will in no case be subject to confiscation, sequestration or any restrictions on the satisfaction of claims against the former Russian Governments or against us for the nationalizations and requisitions we have made. They will be entirely at the disposal of our representative offices, and the bank will, on our instructions, transact business anywhere in the world. I have asked you to notify me whether a new sanction is still needed for the conclusion of the treaty or, subject to your cipher, I can consider this cipher as a sanction of the treaty." V.I.Lenin read this report and on the first sheet made a note: "Secret to the archive" (RCCHIDNI, f. 2, op. 1, d. 24397, l. 3).