June 6, 1921
To Comrade Lezhava*.
Things are terribly bad with the People's Commissariat [of] Foreign Trade].
While you were sick, Krasin once again displayed his weak side: too much self-confidence, sometimes bordering on adventurism. "Everything gets away with me, I succeed at everything." He has such a trait.
And, despite his ((successfulness)) and dexterity, and skill, and art, I cannot vouch that he will not one day run into a big scandal and a noisy departure because of this.
That is impermissible. Krasin was here, saw that you were sick and did nothing.
They left Voikov alone, who is clearly unfit, or rather: cannot cope.
In the Council of Labor and Defense [STO] 3/VI almost to the point of collapse.
9. The STO of 23/III/21 decreed that the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade [NKVT] is obliged to deliver to the South-Eastern Economic Council 7 million poods of gold by 15/IV.
Nothing has been done. Voikov refers to statements he supposedly heard from Krasin that it is impossible to trade with Constantinople; that it is full of crooks.
If Krasin said that, then Krasin will someday be prosecuted for it. Krasin was obliged either to strictly implement the decision of the STO of 25/III, or to submit to the Central Committee [Tseka] about the abolition of this decision of the STO, or to satisfy the South-Eastern Economic Council otherwise, not through Constantinople (this is with a bet on "luck").
Having done neither the one, nor the other, nor the third, Krasin violates the law and ruins all the work. This is impermissible.
I ask you:
1) send a copy of this (or the original) to Krasin.
2) talk personally with Frumkin and Khinchuk.
3) personally verify the execution of STO decisions, without relying on Voikov.
4) think seriously about replacing Voikov with Taratuta or Pikes or whoever else you want, a sensible and efficient person.
Regarding Serebrovsky and Baku, I am now extremely afraid that the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade [NKVT] will repeat the South-Eastern story.