688. To G. Y. SOKOLNIKOV[1]

Written on April 4, 1922 · First published in 1965 in Collected Works, Fifth (Russian) Ed., Vol. 54. Printed from the original. · page 521

4/IV.

Comrade Sokolnikov:

I am sending you this confidentially; please return to me with your reply.

I think that Alsky should be chased out (he is of no use);   Krasnoshchekov should be returned. He is right. The policy has now been laid down; he can do nothing against you.

He will arrange the apparatus. There is no apparatus. Alsky will never do this. I have a similar reference about him from A. D. Tsyurupa. You are to give direction; you will have no chance of dealing with the apparatus. You do not have to appoint Krasnoshchekov to the Narrow C.P.C.

Please reply today, because I want to leave tonight.[2]

Yours,
Lenin

Notes

[1] This was written at the bottom of A. M. Krasnoshchekov’s letter to the Politbureau of the R.C.P.(B.) C.C. and to Lenin on April 3, 1922. He described the state of affairs at the People’s Commissariat for Finance and spoke of his differences over some   questions with Deputy People’s Commissar G. Y. Sokolnikov, which, however, he did not consider serious enough, to warrant his departure from, the People’s Commissariat. He requested that the decision on his work should be expedited, and that if it was impossible for him to stay on at the People’s Commissariat for Finance he should be appointed a member of the S.E.C. Presidium.

[2] On April 6, 1922, the Politbureau of the R.C.P.(B.) C.C. adopted the following decision: = “a) To instruct the C.C. Secretariat to inform Comrade Krasnoshchekov that it has been decided to send him to work either at the People’s Commissariat for Finance or the S.E.C., allowing him a fortnight’s leave for his complete recuperation.

“b) To refer the question of reinforcing the Collegium of the People’s Commissariat for Finance and of using Comrade Krasnoshchekov to the Orgbureau” (Central Party Archives of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the C.P.S.U. Central Committee).

By a decision of the Politbureau on April 13, 1922, Krasnoshchekov was made a member of the S.E.C. Presidium. The Collegium of the People’s Commissariat for Finance was determined at the same sitting.