V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v51;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

2. XI. 1920

Comrade Klasson!

I am afraid that—excuse my frankness—you will not be able to make proper use of the Council of People’s Commissars’ decision on Gidrotorf.373 I am afraid of this because you have apparently wasted too much time on “senseless dreams” about the restoration of capitalism and have not paid sufficient attention to the extremely specific features of the transition period from capitalism to socialism. But I say this not by way of reproach, nor merely because I recall the theoretical debates I had with you in 1894-95, but for a narrowly practical purpose.

To make proper use of the Council of People’s Commissars’ decision, you must:

1) ruthlessly and strictly appeal against its violations in good time, most carefully watching its implementation and, of course, selecting for appeal only cases that come under the rule “seldom, but to the point”;

2) from time to time—again following the same rule—write to me (NB on the envelope: personal, from so-and-so, on such-and-such a matter):
I request that a reminder or inquiry be sent (draft text on a separate sheet) to such-and-such a person or institution on such-and-such a question, in view of the recognition of Gidrotorf’s work as of state importance.

If you do not let me down, i.e., if the reminders and inquiries are strictly businesslike (without departmental squabbling or polemics), I shall sign such reminders and inquiries in two minutes, and they will sometimes be of practical use.

With the wish for quick and great success for your invention, and with greetings,

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)