Moscow, July 6, 1921.

Urgently

To the Politburo of the Central Committee[[[ To the archive of the Central Committee1*]]]                                          Copy to Comrade Lenin

[[ NB]] In forwarding materials on the pogroms in the Gomel and Minsk provinces,1 the Central Bureau of the Jewish Section of the Central Committee of the RCP draws special attention to the conclusion of a member of the Board of the Jewish Department from Belorussia: "...that the Jewish population has the impression that the Soviet authorities are unable to protect the peaceful population from bandits (see Report No. 9)2.

"The Jewish farmers of Kovshitz state that the surrounding peasants have the impression that attacks and pogroms against Jews are being made with the knowledge of the Soviet authorities and that this gives rise to an increase in the number of bandits."

The question of arming the members of trade unions with the active participation of party committees and Jewish sections must be resolved without delay, because the Jewish population is being systematically exterminated and is forced to create its own self-defense under the leadership of elements politically and socially alien to us (Zionists, Zeirei-Zion).

We consider it necessary:

1) To appoint an investigation into the recent pogroms in the Gomel and Minsk provinces.

2) Appoint a commission to solve the question of arming trade unionists in a hurry.

Secretary of the Central] byuro A. Chemerinsky.

Fund 2, op. 2, d. 717, fol. 1 - Lenin's notes and underlining - autograph, note - original.

1* Lenin's notes and underlining belong to Lenin

1The note from the Central Bureau of the Jewish Communist Sections of the Central Committee of the RCP(b) is accompanied by the report of the Jewish Department of the People's Commissariat for Nationalities on banditry and Jewish pogroms in Minsk and Gomel provinces and on the necessary measures of struggle and reports from the field. The first report emphasized "that banditism in this area is largely fed from outside by Savinko-Polish agents..., the share of blame for the development of banditism falls on the local authorities" (RCCHIDNI, f. 2, op. 2, d. 717, fol. 2).

2The reference is given to the report of a member of the board of the Yevotdel of the People's Commissariat (no last name) of June 1921 on banditism in Belorussia, directed mainly against the Jewish population (ibid., fol. 28).

See also doc. 257.