To Tovarischie Frumkin and Stomonyakov.

Copy: to Trotsky.

In view of the worsening of my illness, I am compelled to refuse to attend the plenum. I am quite aware of how awkwardly and even worse than I should act towards you, but I will not be able to make any successful speech1.

Today I received the enclosed letter2 from Comrade Trotsky, with which I agree in everything essential, except, perhaps, the last lines about the Gosplan. I shall write to Trotsky about my agreement with it and about my request to assume, in view of my illness, the defense of my position at the Plenum.

I think that this defense should be divided into three parts: first, the defense of the basic principle of the monopoly of foreign trade, its (monopoly's) complete final confirmation; Secondly, the transfer to a special commission of the most detailed discussion of those practical plans for the realization of this monopoly, which (plans) are presented by Avanesov3 ; in this commission no less than an equal number of foreign traders should be represented; Third, the question of the work of the Gosplan should be singled out separately, and I believe that I would probably have no disagreement with Trotsky if he would confine himself to the demand that the work of the Gosplan, which stands under the banner of the development of state industry, should give its feedback on all aspects of the activity of the People's Commissariat for Foreign Trade.

I hope to write today or tomorrow and send you my opinion on the merits of this question to the plenum of the Central Committee. In any case, I believe that the fundamental importance of this question is so high that I shall have to transfer the question to the Congress in case the plenum fails to reach an agreement. And before that, to declare the present divergence in the factions of the Russian Communist Party at the forthcoming Congress of Soviets.

Lenin.

12/XII -22.

Recorded by Lidia Fotieva.

Published - The Trotsky papers. 1917-1922. V. II, p. 774- 776.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 26116 - typewritten text.

1This is Lenin's position on the issue of the monopoly of foreign trade: the monopoly established by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR of April 22, 1918, was repeatedly confirmed by decrees of the Soviet government. In connection with the transition to the NEP and the expansion of trade relations with foreign countries, there were proposals to abolish the foreign trade monopoly or weaken it. On these positions were N.I.Bukharin, G.L.Pyatakov, G.Y.Sokolnikov, G.E.Zinoviev, L.B.Kamenev, I.V.Stalin, B.S.Stomonyakov, M.I.Frumkin. On March 4, 1922, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP(b) approved the "Theses on Foreign Trade" prepared at Lenin's suggestion by the Deputy Commissar of Foreign Trade A.M.Lezhava, which emphasized the need to strengthen the monopoly, and on this basis defined the principles of export and import of goods in the new conditions. On May 22, the Politburo, at Lenin's suggestion, approved the following directives: 4 The Central Committee confirms the monopoly of foreign trade and decides to stop all development and preparation of the issue of merger of the All-Union People's Commissariat of National Economy with the NKVT. Secretly sign all Commissars" (RCCHIDNI, f. 17, op. 3, d. 294, l. 4). However, at the plenum of the Central Committee of the RCP(b) on October 6, at which Lenin was absent, on Sokolnikov's report was adopted a resolution providing for temporary permission to import and export for certain categories of goods or in application to certain borders. Lenin was not in agreement with the decision of the plenum; on October 12 he talked to Stalin about it, and on the same day he asked for the opinion of L.D. Trotsky (see: Lenin V.I. Complete Works, vol. 54, p. 323). On October 13, he wrote a letter to Stalin protesting against the decision of the plenum and proposed to postpone the decision on this question for two months, until the next plenum of the Central Committee (see: ibid., vol. 45, pp. 220-223). On October 16, Lenin's proposal was accepted by a poll of the Central Committee members: "To postpone the decision of the question until the next plenum" (ibid., p. 563). On December 18, the plenum of the Central Committee unanimously rescinded the October 6 plenum resolution. Lenin, for health reasons, did not take part in its work.

On the question of the monopoly of foreign trade, see also: Lenin V.I. Complete Works, vol. 45, pp. 188, 333-339; vol. 54, pp. 322-328 and others.

2For L.D. Trotsky's letter to V.I. Lenin of December 12, see: The Trotsky papers. 1917-1922. V. II, p. 778-780, Lenin's reply letters - Lenin V.I. Poln. sobr. sob. vol. 54, p. 324 (dated December 13), pp. 325-326 (dated December 15).

3 "Avanesov's plans" Lenin refers to as "Proposals of the SNK Commission on the Survey of Foreign Missions of the RSFSR on the Question of State Monopoly of Foreign Trade." The main conclusion of the commission was that the monopoly of foreign trade can not be abolished for both economic and political reasons "neither completely nor even partially" (RCCHIDNI, f. 5, op. 2, d. 35, l. 72). At that time Avanesov was an advocate of preserving and strengthening the monopoly of foreign trade, he believed that it should be carried out not directly by the People's Commissariat for Foreign Trade, but by the largest economic units (syndicates, concerns) under the control of the People's Commissariat for Foreign Trade.