Letter to Joseph Stalin and Lev Kamenev, March 21, 1922

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Comrades Stalin and Kamenev

I have received the draft of an additional resolution by the congress.[1]

I agree on the main points. After a first reading, I propose these amendments:

1) away with the word “new” (page 1, line 1 from bottom),

2) at the end, instead of “the congress authorises the commission” say: “the Congress authorises the Central Committee, with the enlistment of Comrades Tsyurupa and Kiselyov (two non-members of the CC).”

I think:

a) also to propose less essential amendments;

b) add something on the subject of trying out men and checking up on performance.

We shall arrange the details by phone.

How is this to be introduced?

I shall prepare a letter for the CC Plenum (by 24.IV?).

In this letter I will

1) give a brief plan of the report,

2) refer to Trotsky’s letter,[2] saying that I am basically in favour,

3) tell about my arrangement with Tsyurupa and Rykov,[3]

4) add your draft on my own behalf,

5) ask the CC Plenum to take a vote: do they approve this? do they permit me to say all this on behalf of the CC in my report?

P.S. This is the best form.

Add: against inflating the All-Russia CEC: not more than 3 per gubernia.

21/III–1922

Lenin

  1. An apparent reference to the addition to the draft resolution on the political report of the Central Committee of the RCP(b) to the Eleventh Party Congress on demarcating the functions of Party and Soviet, government organs (the text of the addition has not been found). This question was inserted by Lenin into the plan of the CC’s political report presented to the CC Plenum which was held on March 25, 1922 (see present edition, Vol. 33, pp. 251–53).
  2. An apparent reference to Trotsky’s letter of March 10, 1922, on the question of relations between Party and Soviet government bodies, and the need to demarcate their functions, which was sent to members of the Politbureau of the RCP(b) CC in connection with the discussion of Zinoviev’s draft theses, “On Consolidating the Party”.
  3. See present edition, Vol. 33, pp. 247–48.—Ed.