Telegram to L.M. Kaganovich, September 8, 1931

Source: Tom 17

Kaganovich.

I have read the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs draft regarding the Soviet-German conciliation commission. We cannot promise the Germans the transfer of foreign currency from the proceeds of personal movable property, nor can we transfer the remainder of the sum in foreign currency on this account. I am against points 2 and 3 of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs proposal. Otherwise the Germans will suck millions in foreign currency out of us. The Germans must be told that under Soviet law, emigration cannot be encouraged, and the abuse of the right of emigration for the purpose of extracting foreign currency from the USSR is all the more discouraged. Only as a last resort, and only with respect to Germans, can we agree to the payment of foreign currency in the amount of one-tenth of the proceeds from the sale of personal movable property.

Stalin

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Source: Stalin and Kaganovich: Correspondence, 1931-1936, p. 89.

RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 11. D. 76. L. 52.

Note: This concerns the authorization of foreign currency transfers by German citizens departing from the USSR who were selling their property. The Soviet position remained uncompromising.