L. K. MARTENS

June 22, 1921

Comrade Martens!

I must reproach you for having improperly routed the documents concerning American colonies in Russia.

I only read them on June 20. Instead of forwarding them through Bukharin, you should have formulated practical proposals in Russian—no more than twenty lines—and submitted them to the Council of Labour and Defence (STO), sending a copy directly to me along with a brief accompanying letter.

The delay occurred precisely because the matter was handled incorrectly.

In essence: I am in favor—if American workers and colonists are, in general, willing to bring with them:

1) food supplies sufficient for two years (you mention that this has been done before; therefore, it is feasible);

2) clothing for the same period;

3) tools and implements for labor.

Item one—and item two—are of paramount importance. Two hundred dollars are of lesser significance. If the first item is secured, I am fully prepared to offer every possible form of support.

To expedite matters, please draft a resolution for the STO without delay and submit it today—provided you can manage it by 3 p.m.

If you are unable to meet that deadline, still submit the draft to the STO by 6 p.m.; we will convene a committee and reach a decision on Friday, June 24.

Draft resolution: 1) the conditions shall be those outlined above; 2) you will be responsible for overseeing implementation (you plus one American worker plus one representative from the People’s Commissariat for Labor?); 3) we will provide assistance (by granting land, forests, mines, and the like); 4) financial arrangements shall be as follows.

Please reply, with your signature attached.

Chairman of the Sovnarkom, V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

P.S. After writing this letter, I learned that the issue is already on the agenda of the STO for today. I urge you to elaborate on the points I have outlined.

First published in 1932.

In the Lenin Collection, Volume XX

Printed from the manuscript