V. I.

Lenin

172

To:   R. E. KLASSON

Comrade Klasson:

I have received and read your paper of
20/V.1921. [1]
I can hardly see you one of these days, as I am too busy.

Give a reminder to Fotieva , C.P.C. secretary, in one or
two weeks’ time.

In substance: your letter has surprised me. Usually such
complaints come from the workers, who do not know how to fight red tape. But what about yourself? What about
Starkov? Why didn’t either you or Starkov write me in good time? Why has Starkov, who has been in Germany
for months , not written to me a single time ?? I think he
should be penalised for that.

Why is it that he and you merely “lamented”, without proposing any precise changes , such as having the C.P.C.
(or,the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Trade or someone
else) adopt some decision. (To refrain from demanding of
all the factories, etc.)

The question now is fully settled, isn’t it?

( Has the Central Peat Administration already taken a -2 decision?)

Regards, Lenin

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Notes:
[1]
Enclosed in R. E. Klasson’s letter to Lenin of May 20, 1921,
was a brief report on his trip abroad on Gidrotorf business (see
Note 104), and a draft C.L.D. decision on an order to the Madruk
company.

Klasson spoke about the red tape and delays at the Russian
railway mission in Berlin which had been assigned the formalisation of orders for Gidrotorf.