V. I.

Lenin

736

LETTER TO A. I. RYKOV AND REMARKS ON HIS TELEPHONE MESSAGE

Comrade Rykov:

If the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Trade and its men are “confusing” everything (xxx) , we should make sure not to do likewise. And if we write “reportedly” (x) and
postpone things “until the question is cleared up” (xx) , it
looks as though we are encouraging the confusion. Why not put an end to the confusion by having Smolyaninov (or
someone else, but someone definite, to enable you too to
make a personal check right away ) get on the direct line to
find out immediately and without any “reportedly”. Who is responsible at the Ukrainian People’s Commissariat for
Foreign Trade? What has he been doing? Has he sent, is sending or will send one or two ships? When? to whom?
how many?

We seem to have the P.C.F.T. in a terrible state of chaos,
yet we are encouraging the chaos instead of carrying on any
real fight against it. Is that how you used to work under
the “Chuso”? And is it possible to overcome the chaos unless the methods of the old “Chuso” are
used? [1]

18/ V. Lenin

TELEPHONE MESSAGE TO V. I. LENIN

Vladimir Ilyich:

We discussed at the C.L.D. the question concerning the dispatch
of the two ships to Italy. We established that the Ukrainian
Commissariat for Foreign Trade has a special organisation for the sale and export
of coal to Italy which has reportedly x) sent out one ship. That is why we confined ourselves to a decision on selecting the best brands of coal
for the needs of export to Italy—for the purpose of winning the
Italian market. As for the question of the two ships itself—we have
postponed it until the question of how much coal has already been
sent to Italy is cleared up. xx)

Please note that our representatives at Genoa have been
confusing xxx) us all the time, making demands which they cancel within
a few days. I shall send a telegram tomorrow asking them to bring
up with Moscow only motivated and considered questions and
proposals, as it is quite impossible to do one thing at the request of
Litvinov and Chicherin only to abandon it on Krasin’s proposal. Krasin’s
telegram shows that he himself is out of touch and does not know
that the coal is already on the way and has been partially sold. The
telegram on which you have made an inscription does not even say to which of the Italian ports the coal is to go, whore the buyer is to
he found, and who is to be responsible for the sale of coal in Italy.

A. I. Rykov

Deputy Chairman, C.L.D.

19.25, May 17, 1922