Source: Tom 17

August 23, 1929

August 23, 1929.

Greetings, Molotov!

1) Pay special attention to the construction of new ferrous metallurgy plants. I mean Telbess, Magnitogorsk, etc. Things in this area are, according to reports, unsatisfactory... At the head of Glavchermet [Main Ferrous Metals Administration] is Lokatskov (I think that is his name). His experience is Ural-based, i.e., routine, since in the Urals metallurgy (ferrous, blast furnace operations, etc.) is conducted in an antiquated manner. American and German specialists are either not being engaged or are being engaged only for show and in minimal doses. Yet there is no area where foreign technical assistance is as necessary as in this complex field. Kuibyshev and Lokatskov should be stirred up, and we should demand from them (for a start, and then we shall see) a written report on the situation in this area, on the character and scale of technical assistance, and so on. Why, for example, could we not engage "Austin & Co." or another firm on a contractual basis for the construction of new plants? And so on and so forth.

2) I read the ECCI resolution on Bukharin. The resolution turned out not badly. It seems we were a bit late with the publication.

3) I have just read Bystryansky's report on his conversation with Bukharin. I knew that, having slid into the swamp of opportunism, Bukharin would have to resort to gossip, forgery, and blackmail — no other arguments remained. The talk about "documents," "nationalization of land," and so on is the forgery of a petty lawyer who has gone bankrupt in his "practice"...

4) I read Shatskin's letter. A cowardly and insincere letter. Shatskin will continue his "work."

5) What if we make Krinitsky the second secretary of the Transcaucasian Regional Committee (after first clearing the Regional Committee of old dead weight), while leaving Orakheslashvili as first secretary (without the latter, Krinitsky would have a hard time, since he does not know any of the local languages)? Then we shall see.

Well, so far that is all. I shake your hand.

J. Stalin.

P.S. When is Rykov coming back?

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Source: Letters of J.V. Stalin to V.M. Molotov. 1925–1936. P. 152–154.

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