Letter to V.M. Molotov (not earlier than August 6, 1930)

Source: Tom 17

Vyacheslav!!

I received your letter of 6/VIII.

1) I am against transferring Mirzoyan to the Profintern, since I have always stood and continue to stand against stripping regions of their people, especially a region like the Urals, which is growing at an accelerated pace and is in need of workers.

2) The results of the fight against the shortage of small change are practically negligible. 280 thousand rubles is a trifle. Evidently, they gave the cashiers a small scare and then relaxed. It is not just a matter of cashiers. It is a matter of Pyatakov, of Bryukhanov, and their circle. Both Pyatakov and Bryukhanov advocated the import of silver. Both Pyatakov and Bryukhanov preached the necessity of importing silver and pushed through a corresponding resolution at the conference of deputy commissars (or the Council of Labor and Defense), which we rejected at the Monday meeting, calling them "tails" of the financial wreckers. Now it is clear even to the blind that the policies of the People's Commissariat of Finance were directed by Yurovsky (and not Bryukhanov), and the "politics" of Gosbank were directed by wrecking elements within the Gosbank apparatus (and not Pyatakov), inspired by the "government" of Kondratyev-Groman. The point, therefore, is: a) to thoroughly purge the apparatus of the People's Commissariat of Finance and Gosbank, despite the howling of dubious communists of the Bryukhanov-Pyatakov type; b) to shoot without fail two or three dozen wreckers from these apparatuses, including a dozen cashiers of various kinds; c) to continue throughout the entire USSR the OGPU operations to seize small (silver) coinage.

3) I think that the investigation in the Kondratyev-Groman-Sadyrin case must be conducted with full thoroughness, without haste. This case is very important. All documents in this case must be distributed to members of the CC and the CCC. I have no doubt that a direct connection (through Sokolnikov and Teodorovich) between these gentlemen and the Rightists (Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky) will be uncovered. Kondratyev, Groman, and a couple of other scoundrels must absolutely be shot.

4) The entire group of wreckers in the meat-products sector must absolutely be shot, with a public announcement in the press.

5) Is it true that you have decided to issue small nickel coins right now? If this is true, it is a mistake. This should be postponed.

6) Is it true that shoes have been imported from England (for several million rubles)? If this is true, it is a mistake.

7) It is good that the USA has permitted the import of our timber. Our firmness has yielded results. Hold off on Bogdanov for now.

8) The treaty with Italy is a plus. Germany will follow suit. Incidentally, how is the matter of German credits progressing?

9) Press the grain exports with all your might. That is the crux of the matter now. If we export the grain, the credits will follow.

10) Pay attention to the Stalingrad and Leningrad tractor plants. Things are going badly there.

Well, warm regards.

Stalin.

Source: Letters of I.V. Stalin to V.M. Molotov. 1925-1936. Pp. 193-194.

RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 1. D. 5388.

NOTE

On July 20, 1930, the Politburo considered the question of small change and approved the decision of the conference of deputy commissars, with the exception of the point on the import of silver. On August 20, the Politburo instructed the OGPU to "intensify measures of struggle against speculators and hoarders of small change, including those in Soviet-cooperative institutions." At the same time, the Politburo rejected the proposal of the Politburo commission under Rudzutak's leadership to issue nickel coins.

In 1930, the USA imposed restrictive barriers against Soviet exports: matches, timber, anthracite, manganese ore, and asbestos. On July 25, 1930, the US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury announced an embargo on the import of timber from the USSR. On July 28, two Soviet ships were refused permission to unload. Following protests from the Soviet side and a number of interested American companies, the US Treasury Department lifted the embargo. However, the boycott of Soviet goods in the USA and other countries continued. The Soviet government was accused of employing forced labor and selling goods on international markets at below-cost prices.