...try to renew these old concessions as quickly as possible and by all means try to conclude new ones, in order to obtain food supplies through the concessions. Show this to Gruzrevkom and inform me of their reply as soon as possible.

~  
Written 2 April 1921  
Lenin

*527  
Ordzhonikidze.

Your reply is incomplete and unclear. I request you to find out the details from Gruzrevkom. First: did the Soviet government of Georgia confirm the concession to the Italians for the Tkvarcheli mines, when, what are the terms, report briefly by telegraph, in more detail by letter. Second: regarding the Chiatura manganese mines: have the German owners been transferred to the status of lessees or concessionaires, when, what are the terms.

It is extremely important that decisions on these and similar questions be made as quickly as possible. This is of enormous significance both for Georgia and for Russia, for concessions, especially with Italy and Germany, are absolutely necessary, as is commodity exchange for oil, on a large scale with these countries, and later with others as well.

Please inform me of the measures taken by Gruzrevkom.

Lenin.

# LETTER TO A. P. SEREBROVSKY ON OIL CONCESSIONS IN BAKU

~ 2 April 1921

Comrade Serebrovsky.

I am sending you some materials on oil concessions. I wanted to send this with Comrade Kaminsky, but unfortunately, due to his serious illness, he had to be treated here.

It is extremely important that the Baku comrades assimilate the correct (and approved by the Tenth Party Congress, i.e., binding on Party members) view on concessions.

It is highly desirable to give ½ of Baku (or even ¾) to concessionaires (on terms of assistance from abroad, both with food and equipment, over and above the amounts necessary for the concessionaire). Only then is there hope for the remaining ½ (or ¼) to catch up (and then overtake) modern advanced capitalism. Any other view amounts to the most harmful and thoroughly discredited nonsense of "we can manage on our own," etc., which is all the more dangerous the more often it hides behind "purely communist" garb.

If you still have any traces (even small ones) of these most harmful views and prejudices (among workers and among intellectuals) in Baku, write to me immediately: do you undertake to completely break down these prejudices and secure the most loyal implementation of the Congress decision (in favour of concessions) yourself, or do you need my help.

Engrave on your and everyone's memory: "concessions are highly desirable. Nothing is more harmful and ruinous for communism than communist self-praise of 'we can manage on our own'."

Now that Batum is ours, we must exert every effort to press for the fastest possible exchange of oil and kerosene abroad for equipment.

A certain degree of independence is necessary for the Baku region for this. If you do not have it, telegraph precisely, and we will give it to you.

Formulate precise proposals — send them to the STO by telegraph and post. A regional economic centre is necessary, responsible for Baku + Batum, etc., conducting business independently, quickly, without red tape.

We cannot help you from here; we ourselves are poor. You must help us by purchasing everything needed from abroad in exchange for oil and its products.

I await your reply: a short one by telegraph ("received letter 2/IV regarding concessions, prejudices exist, difficult (or easy) to overcome; regarding commodity exchange with abroad and the regional centre, we will do or are doing such and such") and a detailed one by post.

Proper relations with the STO are absolutely necessary. This is essential.

One more question: is the question of water being correctly posed in Baku from the standpoint of coordinating different branches of the national economy? After all, it is an extremely rich region: forests, fertile (with irrigation) land, etc. We pump water (along with oil) and do not use this water for irrigation, which would yield huge harvests of hay, rice, cotton? Do we not use the "nord" wind for wind engines? But the main thing, of course, is food and irrigation. Can the oil industry be developed without developing irrigation and agriculture around Baku? Is anyone thinking about this and working on it properly? What about the English irrigation plan?

With communist greetings, Lenin.