[May 4, 1921]

[Between
May 1 and 4, 1921]
ON THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS NON-PARTY WORKERS.
TO ALL GUBKOMS AND UKOMS, TO ALL
COMMUNIST FACTIONS AND TRADE UNIONS
The question of the relationship between our party and the broad masses of workers is now the question of the relationship between Communists and non-Party members.
The parties hostile to us, the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, insofar as they act openly, have no significant success. The broad working masses feel themselves to be non-Party. Hence, the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks are increasingly disguising themselves as non-Party.
Our task is to strengthen the connection between Communists and honest non-Party members by all means necessary. This is the only way to revitalize our sometimes languishing Party cells. Where a wall has grown between Communists and non-Party workers, alienation must be **by all means destroyed**. He is no Communist who has not managed to gather around himself several honest non-Party workers, to daily interact with them, to visit them at home, to help them in their daily lives, to supply them with newspapers, to promote workers from their midst into trade unions and Soviet bodies, etc.

Most of all, Communists working in trade unions can and must do in this area. Through trade unions, it would be best to involve broad circles of honest non-Party workers. But this is not the only way. Local Party organizations must be able to assign a significant percentage of non-Party workers to Soviet work. Communists from Soviet institutions—to factories and plants; a portion of fresh non-Party proletarian forces—to Soviet institutions and to trade union boards. Such is the slogan of the day. All Party organizations must **businesslike** discuss this question and, **in accordance with local conditions**, find ways to swiftly implement this appeal of the Central Committee.
[The activity of non-Party workers has increased. They want to participate in power.
They] * Non-Party workers want to take responsible positions in the Soviets and trade unions. The Party must meet this desire. The Party must be able, through its cells and through trade unions, to identify the most valuable and steadfast non-Party workers (and also peasants) and place them in appropriate positions (in particular, in the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection). This is the key to our success in the fight against bureaucracy.
Non-Party conferences can help bring Communists and non-Party members closer together, facilitate the fight against bureaucracy, and provide an opportunity to promote new workers. But — only under certain conditions. The main condition is serious, **businesslike** preparation for such non-Party conferences.
The experience of non-Party conferences has shown that they become an arena for agitation and organization by the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. Both these parties have developed special directives on using non-Party conferences for counter-revolutionary SR-Menshevik purposes. Our Party organizations must take this into account.
For this, local organizations, when organizing non-Party conferences, must: 1) be able themselves to [develop] choose the appropriate moment and not allow such conferences to be imposed on us at moments [disadvantageous to our opponents] **favorable to the enemies of the working class**, 2) be able, already during the preparation of the non-Party conference, to expose the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks masquerading as non-Party members, 3) and most importantly, be able to ensure success in the elections at every factory and plant.
In Petrograd, in connection with the last non-Party conference, four preliminary meetings were held at each enterprise:
1) the collective plus sympathizers, 2) the factory delegates' meeting, 3) the delegates' meeting plus the collective, and 4) the general factory meeting, at which both the list of candidates for the non-Party conference and the mandate were already prepared from the previous meetings.
The Ukom must report to the Gubkom, and the Gubkom to the Central Committee, on the preparation, progress, and outcome of each non-Party conference. Preparation must be carried out with the utmost care. In case of insufficient forces, assistance from the center should be requested in advance.
To establish ties with non-Party members, it is further necessary to regularly hold not only general meetings for the masses of workers and peasants, but also to arrange businesslike reports of all officials before the masses of workers
* Text enclosed in square brackets, here and below, is crossed out and corrected by V. I. Lenin; Lenin's corrections are given in bold type.
8 * and peasants. Such reports must be held at least once a month so that the mass of non-Party workers and peasants are given the opportunity to criticize Soviet institutions and their work. Reports must be given not only by Communists, but by all officials in all responsible positions, primarily by employees of food supply and Soviet economic institutions.
Each Gubkom is obliged to report monthly to the Central Committee precise information on the number and progress of all such reports, as well as the demands of non-Party members expressed at such meetings.
Dozens of other ways must be found by comrades on the ground to more closely connect with non-Party members and promote new workers from their midst. Closer to the masses. More businesslike connection with non-Party members. More systematic selection of new non-Party workers. More attention from officials to those everyday shortcomings that can be eliminated even in our poverty. More systematic struggle against bureaucracy and red tape. Communists—into the very thick of the working and popular masses.
May 1, 1921
Central Committee of the RCP
Attaching enormous importance to this question, the Central Committee absolutely demands the strict and most energetic fulfillment of this directive. For non-fulfillment or for inactivity shown in this regard, the Central Committee will apply the strictest penalties, up to expulsion from the Party.
Reports on the implementation of this directive must be sent by Ukoms and Gubkoms monthly in the following form:
1) How many Communists have been transferred from Soviet positions to factories and plants? 2) The same—to the countryside, for agricultural work? 3) How many non-Party workers have been identified as most honest and capable for involvement in Soviet work? 4) Their nominal list? 5) How many of them have been successfully involved in Soviet work by departments? 6) Duration and success of their work? 7-10) The same (§§ 3, 4, 5, 6) concerning peasants. 11) Main demands and complaints of non-Party workers? 12) The same—peasants? 13) Cases of involving workers in the Rabkrin and results? 14) The same—peasants? 15) Briefly report the main points about each non-Party conference, in accordance with this letter from the Central Committee.