To Comrade Stalin. Comrade Stalin!

I challenge the legality of the decision taken yesterday on Rozhkov, for: first, this decision, contrary to custom and the Rules, was not placed on the agenda before 12 noon; second, the documents were not communicated in advance to the members of the Central Committee; third, there were no grounds for urgency after the matter had been discussed twice, especially since I was present at the first part of the sitting and the matter came up just after I had to leave. Therefore I insist that the question be referred to the plenum, all the more since only one week remains until the plenum.

On the question of Lozovsky I submit a proposal that the time freed be used to search more thoroughly for the necessary candidates.

As a party we have already given an inordinate amount of our forces to the Comintern and, consequently, to the Profintern. If Lozovsky has proved not entirely satisfactory on his own, we must draw in new forces either from among foreigners or from among such workers as will under no circumstances be used by us for anything else, i.e., neither for organisational nor for practical or administrative work. For no reason, therefore, may Kalnin be taken, who, as I have already heard, has begun rather important and, if I am not mistaken, rather successful work in the Donbas. Under no circumstances, either, can Tomsky simply be appointed, for in the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions he is swamped with work, which is made exceedingly difficult by the shortage of people. If necessary, I propose that Tomsky and Rudzutak be appointed, on condition that they occupy themselves with this new post no more than half an hour a day and that two or more secretaries be obligatorily attached, who have a command of foreign languages and are capable of informing Tomsky and Rudzutak in all detail. I submit a proposal that the finding of such secretaries be entrusted to the Orgburo or the Secretariat, on condition that they under no circumstances be removed from any post that is necessary to our party.

I draw attention to the fact that if people such as Rothstein are not used, that clearly indicates a glaring anarchy in the way the Profintern’s and Comintern’s work is organised, for in any case these people have shown by their lengthy work their full fitness for literary activity, for example in the old “Neue Zeit”; there is no doubt that with proper secretarial assistance these people will be of exceptionally great use, and proper secretaries can and must be taken not from Russians but from foreigners. An absolute limit must be set to the drawing of forces from our party for the benefit of the Comintern and the Profintern.

I propose that the corresponding proposal be sent to the Central Committee Secretariat or the Orgburo.

Lenin

Dictated over the telephone