V. I.

Lenin

INQUIRIES SENT TO PEOPLE’S COMMISSARIATS OVER THE PREPARATION OF A REPORT BY THE ALL-RUSSIA C.E.C. AND THE C.P.C. AT THE NINTH ALL-RUSSIA CONGRESS OF SOVIETS [3]

The most concise information possible (2-3 figures) and so precise (or with a
reservation of how close it is to the real thing) as to make it worth while for me
to insert it in my speech at the Congress of Soviets?

_ _

||

_ _

please let me have the shortest possible replies, one or a
maximum of two pages

1. To Comrade Chicherin (or, if he is unable to reply, to
Litvinov) and to Comrade Radek

Will it be enough to say, in characterising the international position of the R.S.F.S.R., that from the side of
Poland and Rumania, it is only their war party that threatens and not all their ruling classes?

— that the alliance of the four Powers (Britain, the
United States, France and Japan) concluded at the

Washington Conference is, first, highly unstable, like all
imperialist alliances; and, second, hostile to all the other
peoples?

Should anything be added to this?

Is it all right to tell about the plan to invite Russia
and Germany to the second conference in April
1922? [4]
What source should I quote? How authentic or probable is this to be considered?

2. To Comrade Chicherin (Litvinov)

Is it all right to characterise our progress for 1921 by
the increase in the number of trade treaties with European
powers? If it is, list them (in 1920 only with Britain,
and in 1921 with such-and-such countries).

If not, is it ail right to characterise progress in this
respect by means of data other than the volume of trade
exchange (about which I shall inquire from the People’s
Commissariat for Foreign Trade)?

3. To Comrade Lezhava

Is it possible to characterise our progress for 1921 in
terms of developing trade with other countries by means
of two or three figures, however general and approximate?
For instance, purchases and orders in 1920— about so much;
for so many months of 1921, to an approximate figure, giving a probable total of up to so much?

Is it possible to bring out Germany in this respect?

Is it possible to give two or three final figures on the
volume of our exports in 1921 as compared with that in 1920?

4. To Comrade Fomin

Could you let me have the exact or rough figures about the number of new locomotives (and cars? and tank cars?)
brought in from abroad in 1921? compared with 1920? and
other products for transport?

ditto: ordered in 1921 for the amount of?

Is it possible for me to give in my report at the Congress
of Soviets facts about the state of transport in 1921 compared with 1920, in the briefest form, stating the essential
(one page)?

5. To Comrade Trotsky

Is it possible to add to your theses and your report something about the army’s economic work? about the
uninterruption of continuous ties with the labour army councils? [5] and in general according to the assignment formulated
in a decision either by one of the C.C. plenums in 1921,
or one of the Politbureau sittings in the autumn of
1921? [6]

6. To Comrade Khinchuk

Could you supplement the figures for the development of Centrosoyuz turnover which you have given me (1
million; 3 and 6 million in gold for August, September and
October
1921), [1] first, with approximate figures for
November? second, the figure for grain purchases? third, the figure
for the number of gubernia societies which have submitted
their reports out of the total? fourth, any other very brief
results which I could cite in my report at the Congress of
Soviets?

7. To Comrade Osinsky

Could you give me for my report at the Congress of
Soviets 2–3 summary figures, first, on our fulfilment of the
task of supplying peasants with seed for the autumn of
1921; second, on other tangible results or successes already
in evidence in 1921?

8. To Comrade Smilga (or Trifonov)

Could you let me have, for insertion in my report at the Congress of Soviets, the most concise figures on fuel:

I have Pyatakov’s report on Donbas. Could I have the results for 1920 and 1921?

ditto on oil?

ditto on peat?

ditto on firewood for 1920 and 1921?

9. To Comrade Bogdanov

Please let me have for my report at the Congress of
Soviets the briefest information (not more than 1/2–1 page
on each point)

on metallurgy for 1921 in comparison with 1920?

on
Yugostal? [2] on the importance and prospect of the enterprise of Rutgers and his group?

on assistance to the Urals (Hammer’s concessions)

on the textile industry?

on some results of the work of the Central
Administration for the Farms of Industrial Enterprises (task: the shortest, most indicative figures which could
be cited in the report to show both the great difficulty
of the situation and any small signs of improvement).

10. To Comrade Gorbunov

On electrification the end of Levi’s article [7] increase in the number and capacity of electric-power stations for 1918, 1919, 1920 and 1921.

The importance of Kashira and Utkina Zavod, and their forthcoming start in the spring of 1922.

ditto about
Volkhovsite. [8]

11. To Comrades Lunacharsky, Pokrovsky and Litkens

Please let me have for my report at the Congress of
Soviets the briefest data for a graphic picture of the growing
thirst for knowledge, for learning, and progress in this
sphere (not more than 2 or 3 figures on the number of students, number of libraries, etc.; the most salient points).

12. To Radchenko: about the hydraulic extraction of peat :
what has been ordered in Germany? prospects for 1922?

---
Notes:
[1]
See also Document 530 of this volume.— Ed .

[2]
A mining and steel trust with mills in the Ukraine, the
Northern Caucasus and the Crimea.— Ed.

[3]
The materials received to the inquiries sent to the People’s
Commissariats and other central establishments were used by Lenin in his All-Russia C.E.C. and C.P.C. report at the Ninth
All-Russia Congress of Soviets (see present edition, Vol. 33, pp. 143–77).
The text scored off with double lines was included, in a
somewhat modified wording, into each inquiry when they were