Draft Platform on the National Question for the Fourth Conference, Endorsed by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee

THE GENERAL LINE OF PARTY WORK ON THE NATIONAL QUESTION

The line of Party work on the national question as regards combating deviations from the position adopted by the Twelfth Party Congress must be defined by the relevant points of the resolution on the national question adopted by that congress, namely, Point 7 of Part I of the resolution, and Points 1, 2 and 3 of Part II. One of the Party’s fundamental tasks is to rear and develop in the national republics and regions young communist organisations consisting of proletarian and semi-proletarian elements of the local population; to do everything to assist these organisations to stand firmly on their feet, to acquire real communist education and to unite the genuinely internationalist communist cadres, even though they may be few at first. The Soviet regime will be strong in the republics and regions only when really important communist organisations are firmly established there. But the Communists themselves in the republics and regions must bear in mind that the situation there, if only because of the different social composition of the population, is markedly different from the situation in the industrial centres of the Union of Republics and that, for this reason, it is often necessary to employ different methods of work in the border regions. In particular, here, in the endeavour to win the support of the labouring masses of the local population, it is necessary to a larger extent than in the central regions to meet halfway the revolutionary democratic elements, or even those who are simply loyal in their attitude to the Soviet regime. The role of the local intelligentsia in the republics and regions differs in many respects from that of the intelligentsia in the central regions of the Union of Republics. There are so few local intellectual workers in the border regions that all efforts must be made to win every one of them to the side of the Soviet regime. A Communist in the border regions must remember that he is a Communist and therefore, acting in conformity with the local conditions, must make concessions to those local national elements who are willing and able to work loyally within the framework of the Soviet system. This does not preclude, but, on the contrary, presupposes a systematic ideological struggle for the principles of Marxism and for genuine internationalism, and against a deviation towards nationalism. Only in this way will it be possible successfully to eliminate local nationalism and win broad strata of the local population to the side of the Soviet regime.

QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE INSTITUTION
OF A SECOND CHAMBER OF THE CENTRAL
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE UNION AND WITH
THE ORGANISATION OF THE PEOPLE’S
COMMISSARIATS OF THE UNION OF REPUBLICS

Judging by as yet incomplete data, there are in all seven such questions: a) The composition of the second chamber. This chamber must consist of representatives of the autonomous and independent republics (four or more from each) and of representatives of the national regions (one from each will be enough). It is desirable that matters be arranged in such a way that members of the first chamber should not, as a rule, be at the same time members of the second chamber. The representatives of the republics and regions must be endorsed by the Congress of Soviets of the Union of Republics. The first chamber should be called the Union Soviet, the second—the Soviet of Nationalities. b) The rights of the second chamber in relation to the first. The two chambers should have equal rights, each having power to initiate legislation, with the proviso that no Bill introduced in either of the chambers can become law unless it receives the consent of both chambers, voting separately. In the event of disagreement, the questions in dispute should be referred to a conciliation commission of the two chambers, and if no agreement is reached they should be put to another vote at a joint sitting of the two chambers. If the disputed Bill thus amended fails to obtain a majority of the two chambers, the matter should be referred to a special or to an ordinary Congress of Soviets of the Union of Republics. c) The jurisdiction of the second chamber. The questions to come within the jurisdiction of the second (as of the first) chamber are indicated in Point 1 of the Constitution of the U.S.S.R. The legislative functions of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union and of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Union are to remain in force. d) The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Republics. There should be one Presidium of the Central Executive Committee. It should be elected by both chambers of the Central Executive Committee, provision being made, of course, for representation of the nationalities, at least for the largest ones. The proposal of the Ukrainians for setting up two presidiums with legislative functions, one for each chamber of the Central Executive Committee, in place of a single Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union, is inadvisable. The Presidium is the supreme authority in the Union, functioning constantly, continuously, from session to session. The formation of two presidiums with legislative functions would mean a divided supreme authority, and this would inevitably create great difficulties in practice. The chambers should have their presidiums, which, however, should not possess legislative functions. e) The number of merged Commissariats. In conformity with the decisions of previous plenums of the Central Committee, there should be five merged Commissariats (Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, War, Transport, and Posts and Telegraphs), and also five directive Commissariats (People’s Commissariat of Finance, Supreme Council of National Economy, People’s Commissariat of Food, People’s Commissariat of Labour, Workers’ and Peasants’ Inspection), the rest of the Commissariats should be quite autonomous. The Ukrainians propose that the Commissariats of Foreign Affairs and of Foreign Trade be transferred from the merged to the directive category, i.e., that these Commissariats be left in the republics parallel with the Union Commissariats of Foreign Affairs and of Foreign Trade, but subordinate to their directives. This proposal cannot be accepted, if we are really going to form a single Union State capable of coming before the outside world as a united whole. The same must be said about concession agreements, the conclusion of which must be concentrated in the Union of Republics. f) The structure of the People’s Commissariats of the Union of Republics. The collegiums of these People’s Commissariats should be enlarged by the inclusion of representatives of the biggest and most important nationalities. g) The budget rights of the republics. The republics should be given more independence in regard to their budgets, within the limits of the share allotted to them, the dimensions of the share to be specially determined.

MEASURES FOR DRAWING WORKING PEOPLE
OF THE LOCAL POPULATION INTO PARTY
AND SOVIET AFFAIRS

Judging by incomplete data, it is already possible to propose four measures: a) To purge the state and Party apparatuses of nationalist elements (this refers primarily to the Great-Russian nationalists, but it also refers to the anti-Russian and other nationalists). The purge must be carried out with caution, on the basis of proved data, under the control of the Central Committee of the Party. b) To conduct systematic and persevering work to make the state and Party institutions in the republics and regions national in character, i.e., gradually to introduce the local languages in the conduct of affairs, making it obligatory for responsible workers to learn the local languages. c) To choose and enlist for the Soviet institutions the more or less loyal elements among the local intelligentsia. At the same time our responsible workers in the republics and regions must train cadres of Soviet and Party officials from among the members of the Party. d) To arrange non-Party conferences of workers and peasants at which People’s Commissars, and responsible Party workers in general, should report on the most important measures taken by the Soviet Government.

MEASURES TO RAISE THE CULTURAL
LEVEL OF THE LOCAL POPULATION

It is necessary, for example: a) to organise clubs (non-Party) and other educational institutions to be conducted in the local languages; b) to enlarge the network of educational institutions of all grades to be conducted in the local languages; c) to draw into school work the more or less loyal school-teachers of local origin; d) to create a network of societies for the dissemination of literacy in the local languages; e) to organise publishing activity.

ECONOMIC CONSTRUCTION IN THE NATIONAL
REPUBLICS AND REGIONS FROM THE STANDPOINT
OF THE SPECIFIC NATIONAL FEATURES
OF THEIR MANNER OF LIFE

It is necessary, for example: a) to regulate and, where necessary, to stop the transference of populations; b) as far as possible to provide land for the local working population out of the state land fund; c) to make agricultural credit available to the local population; d) to expand irrigation work; e) to give the co-operatives, and especially the producers’ co-operatives, all possible assistance (with a view to attracting handicraftsmen); f) to transfer factories and mills to republics in which suitable raw materials abound; g) to organise trade and technical schools for the local population; h) to organise agricultural courses for the local population.

PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR THE ORGANISATION
OF NATIONAL MILITARY UNITS

It is necessary to proceed at once with the organisation of military schools in the republics and regions for the purpose of training within a certain time commanders from among the local people who could later serve as a core for the organisation of national military units. It goes without saying that a satisfactory Party and social composition of these national units, particularly of the commanders, must be ensured. Where there are old military cadres among the local people (Tataria, and, partly, Bashkiria), it would be possible to organise regiments of national militia at once. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan already have, I think, a division each. In the Ukraine and in Byelorussia it would be possible, at once, to form one division of militia in each (particularly in the Ukraine). The question of forming national military units is one of prime importance, both as regards defence against possible attacks by Turkey, Afghanistan, Poland, etc., and as regards the possibility of the Union of Republics being compelled to take action against neighbouring states. The importance of national military units from the standpoint of the internal situation in the Union of Republics needs no proof. It must be supposed that in this connection the numerical strength of our army will have to be increased by approximately 20-25 thousand men.

THE ORGANISATION OF PARTY
EDUCATIONAL WORK

It is necessary, for example: a) to organise schools for elementary political education in the native languages; b) to create a Marxist literature in the native languages; c) to have a well-organised periodical press in the native languages; d) to widen the activities of the University of the Peoples of the East at the centre and in the localities and to provide this university with the necessary funds; e) to organise a Party debating society at the University of the Peoples of the East, and to enlist the cooperation of members of the Central Committee living in Moscow; f) to intensify work in the Youth League and among women in the republics and regions.

SELECTION OF PARTY AND SOVIET
OFFICIALS WITH A VIEW TO IMPLEMENTING
THE RESOLUTION ON THE NATIONAL QUESTION
ADOPTED BY THE TWELFTH CONGRESS

It is necessary to bring into the Registration and Distribution, Agitation and Propaganda, Organisation, Women’s, and Instructors’ Departments of the Central Committee, a definite number of people (two or three in each) from the nationalities to facilitate the Central Committee’s current Party work in the border regions, and properly to distribute Party and Soviet officials among the republics and regions so as to ensure the implementation of the line on the national question adopted by the Twelfth Congress of the R.C.P.