June 1, 1920
According to the information received, the Nizhny Novgorod Guberniya Executive Committee had not authorized the loading of grain shipments on Sunday, May 30. Given that the supply to the Western Front, Petrograd, and Moscow is almost exclusively dependent on waterborne transport, the cessation of loading—even for a single day—constitutes an unacceptable and criminal act.
I propose that measures be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, and that you promptly report to me on their implementation.
Chairman of the Defense Commissariat
Lenin