(Secret)
Glavtorf, Comrade Radchenko

7/VI.

Dear Ivan Ivanovich!

I fully understand that it pains you to see non-Soviet people — perhaps even in some respects enemies of Soviet power — using their invention for purposes of personal gain. I quite believe you that such is Kirpichnikov. Of course, Klassen is not our supporter either.

But that is precisely the point: however legitimate your feeling of indignation may be, we must not make a mistake and give in to it.

The inventors are outsiders, but we must use them. Better to let them get ahead, make money, grab — but to move forward a matter of exceptional importance for the RSFSR.

Let us think through the assignments to these people in greater detail. Perhaps such a plan:

1) Permit Kirpichnikov to travel on the condition of fulfilling precisely defined assignments; draw up a list of them.

2) Send with him two or three politically reliable people (a worker, an engineer of your own kind, etc.) as "commissars" of sorts. Give them precise instructions.

We will confirm §1 and §2 by agreement with Kryzhizhanovsky.

3) In Russia, create a special center, order the best machines from Hydrotorf, establish this special center with these special machines — that is, a special enterprise — and entrust it to move this matter forward in its own way.

Can you find people for this?

4) Award prizes from Glavtorf (in 10-30 thousand gold rubles) in Canada and in Germany for the best methods of peat dehydration and the best samples of machines for Hydrotorf, etc.

Your Lenin

TO N. P. GORBUNOV. 7 JUNE 1921

P. S. I find it strange that Klassen did not award prizes in Germany, although we spoke with him about this. Is he dragging his feet? Should we not do this directly through Glavtorf? We must not spare money for this.

Written 7 June 1921

First published in 1932 in Lenin Miscellany XX

Printed from the manuscript