Telegram to L.M. Kaganovich, Ya.E. Rudzutak, and G.K. Ordzhonikidze, September 6, 1931

Source: Tom 17

Kaganovich, Rudzutak, Ordzhonikidze.

1) You have not answered the question: does the July Politburo decision on the final program of metal orders for 1931 remain in force, or is it to be considered repealed? To us it is clear that your decision on metal imports to the amount of five million rubles means placing new metal orders in excess of the program established by the Politburo in July with the participation of Sergo, Pyatakov, Rozengolts, Bron, and Mezhlauk. This means a disguised repeal of the July Politburo decision and a breach of our foreign currency front, which is precisely what we are objecting to.

2) The metal import program was established by the Politburo in tons, not in rubles. Both of your decisions on additional imports disregard the Politburo decision expressed in tons. The import sum of 156 million rubles that you mention is unknown to us and was not approved by the Politburo. Replacing the calculation of metal imports in tons with a calculation in rubles is wrong because it facilitates circumvention of the July Politburo decision.

3) Savings of four million in foreign currency constitute the property of the state treasury, not of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, which does not and should not have a treasury of its own. We are against the anarcho-syndicalist view of the state according to which the profits from savings go to the Supreme Council while the losses go to the state. We hold that the state is above the Supreme Council.

4) The unused five million cannot be used for metal imports, since the metal import program for 1931 remains in force and has been allocated by country. The question of how to use these funds must be discussed separately, taking into account the interests of the state as a whole, and not merely those of the Supreme Council.

5) It should be borne in mind that our foreign currency position is desperate. It should not be forgotten that it will be even more dire in the next two years, given the increasing contraction of our exports to Italy, Germany, England, and America. It should also be borne in mind that the United States, the present hegemon of the financial world and our chief enemy, is making and will continue to make every effort to undermine our foreign currency position. Are you taking this prospect into account? One cannot act with one's eyes shut. How do you propose to struggle against these difficulties? How do you propose to carry out the Politburo decision on the accumulation of minimum foreign currency reserves?

6) We insist on the repeal of both your decisions on orders for steel and for railway car axles and wheels. In the event of your disagreement, we propose that a special session of the Politburo be convened, with both of us summoned to attend.

Stalin, Molotov

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Source: Stalin and Kaganovich: Correspondence, 1931-1936, pp. 87-88.

RGASPI. F. 82. Op. 2. D. 1424. L. 66-73.