Note to Vasily Mikhailov with a Draft Telegram to Leonid Krasin, October 28, 1921

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In a telegram from London on October 19, 1921, L. B. Krasin reported the talks he had started with an American building company, the Foundation Company, which had contracts with the leading oil corporations. A spokesman of this Company declared that, it was prepared to undertake the construction of a paraffin separation plant, and a pipeline between Grozny and the Black Sea, provided the Company’s engineers carried out the explorations. Krasin proposed that the necessary fund:; should be allocated for this purpose. The draft telegram to Krasin here published was approved by the Politbureau of the RCP(b) Central Committee on October 28. See also Lenin Miscellany XXXVI, pp. 357– 58.

28/X.

Comrade Mikhailov:

Please have this urgently circulated among the Politbureau members (if they approve, agree with Bogdanov and Chicherin and send off this very day).

Recognising it as being vastly important that Krasin should manage to go to America before the Washington Conference;

—recognising it as being equally important that American capital should take an interest in our oil, I propose that the following reply telegram should be sent to Krasin this very day (coded, of course):

“Agree to appropriate up to 100,000 dollars to pay for exploration by the Foundation Company, provided our workers and specialists take part and all the details of the exploration are delivered to us. We believe it to be vastly important to attract American capital for the construction of a paraffin separation plant and an oil pipeline in Grozny. We request that this matter be got under way with utmost speed and vigour, because your trip before the Washington Conference opens is of especial importance.”

Lenin