V. I.

Lenin

345

To:   R. E. KLASSON

Engineer Robert Eduardovich Klasson

Gidrotorf, 11 Sadovniki

Copies: Smolyaninov, I. I. Radchenko, Krasin, and Gosplan Presidium

I have received and read your report of August 31. If the news you report that you have fully solved the problem
of the industrial dehydration of peat is quite true, this is
of tremendous importance. It is necessary at once to carry
out a check-up or a technical expertise and then to settle
the question of allocating to you the requested foodstuffs
and foreign currency. You must let us know how much food and foreign currency you are requesting.

I am surprised at your communication that the powers conferred upon you by the C.P.C. had been withdrawn
long ago, because no one could have done that.

Please arrange a conference with the participation of
Comrade Radchenko, a representative of the State Planning
Commission, Smolyaninov and
Krasin. [1] Since Krasin is leaving on September 7, it is desirable to have things finished before he goes. The assignment to the conference
is to take measures to verify your report and to determine
the amount of foodstuffs and foreign currency to be issued,
together with the terms of issue.

V. Ulyanov (Lenin )

---
Notes:
[1]
A commission consisting of representatives of the State Planning
Commission, the Central Peat Administration and the
Administration for Hydraulic Peat Extraction met on September 7, 1921, with
L. B. Krasin in the chair, to discuss the report about the new
way of extracting peat, and adopted a number of measures to
promote this work. Having acquainted himself with the commission’s material on September 11, Lenin instructed N. P.
Gorbunov to establish regular supervision over the execution of
the decisions (see this volume, Document 378).