Letter to Valerian Kuybyshev, October 12, 1921

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Lenin’s remarks refer to the draft “Basic Propositions for a CLD Agreement with the Rutgers Group”, which the SEC Presidium approved on October 10, 1921.

“The undertaking”, a draft engagement concerning the terms on which the American workers were to travel to and work in Soviet Russia, which Lenin drew up on September 22, 1921 (see present edition, Vol. 42, pp. 344–45).

12.X.1921

Comrade Kuibyshev:

Please let me have the following additional explanations on the Rutgers case:

1) everyone seems to think we shall have to spend 300,000 dollars.

But § 4 a) says:

“The Soviet Government shall allocate 100 dollars for each worker coming to settle”, while § 5 a) and b) say that 2,800+3,000=5,800 are due to settle.

Doesn’t that make our expenditure 600,000 dollars?

Or should we add clearly: 100 dollars each for 3,000 men for the Nadezhdinsk Works and nothing more?

2) Why is there no written statement from all three, Rutgers, Heywood and Calvert, that they are willing to sign the enclosed “undertaking”?

Please order this today and be sure to have it done in English.

3) End of § 8 (our pledge to repay expenses) should be set out more precisely in a special §: “The Soviet Government undertakes to reimburse expenses only on the following principles and in the following cases.”

4) Is there any sign of an ultimatum in the amendments made by Rutgers and the others to the text adopted by the Supreme Economic Council Presidium?

Please send me your reply (+the English pledge) and return this letter to Molotov, CC Secretary, tomorrow, Thursday, October 13.

With communist greetings,

Lenin