Written: Written in April, not later than 27, 1921
Published:
First published in 1932 in Lenin Miscellany XX.
Printed from the manuscript.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
3nd English Printing,
Progress Publishers,
1977,
Moscow,
Volume 42,
pages 298b-299a.
Translated: Bernard Isaacs
Transcription\Markup:
D. Walters
Public Domain:
Lenin Internet Archive
(2003).
You may freely copy, distribute,
display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
Archive” as your source.
• README
A circular to the gubernia committees to be drawn up and forwarded in cipher.
the experience of non-Party conferences has fully proved that they have become an arena for agitation[1] by the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries;
therefore, the greatest care must be taken in organising non-Party conferences, by no means allowing them to be held without thorough preparation at each respective factory. The Gubernia Party Committees should be answerable to the Party for the success of every non-Party conference.
Every Gubernia Party Committee is obliged to report to the Central Committee not only on the success of every non-Party conference, but prior to every non-Party conference, setting forth its conditions and preparedness.
At the same time it is absolutely essential to step up the work of preserving and developing the Communists’ ties with the non-Party masses. For this purpose it is necessary:
not only to regularly hold general meetings for the rank-and-file workers and peasants, but arrange business reports to the rank-and-file workers and peasants by officials holding key posts. Such reports must be delivered at least once a month in order that the non-Party rank-and-file be given an opportunity to criticise the Soviet institutions and their work. Reports are to be made not only by Communists, but by all officials in top posts, first and foremost those of the food supply and economic council agencies.
Every gubernia committee is obliged to forward exact information monthly to the Central Committee about the number and progress of all these reports, as well as the demands made by the non-Party people at these meetings.
The C.C. will draw up more detailed instructions on the organisation of such reports, on the measures for checking ties with the masses’ on the progress of the work for improving their condition, and on fighting the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries, who are acting under the guise of non-Party people, etc.[3]
[1] The word “organisation” is written above the word “agitation” in the manuscript.—Ed.
[2] This document formed the basis of the draft letter of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) dated May 1 “On the Attitude to NonParty Workers” to whitch Lenin made a numner ot amendments and wrote an addendum (see Collected Works, Vol. 43, Fifth Russian Edition, pp. 390-92). On May 4 the CC. endorsed the draft letter with Lenin’s amendments and addendum, and on May 7 it was published in Pravda No. 97 as a circular to all Gubernia and Uyezd Party Committees, communist groups and trade unions.
[3] Lenin added in pencil at the end of the manuscript: &8220;(pamphlet on the Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. On therights...) .” The last word is illegible Apparently Lenin meant the rights of general meetings.
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