Published:
First published on April 15, 1930 in Pravda No. 104.
Printed from the original.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
Progress Publishers,
1976,
Moscow,
Volume 45,
pages 340b-341a.
Translated: Yuri Sdobnikov
Transcription\Markup:
R. Cymbala
Public Domain:
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• README
Copy to Comrade Osinsky,
copy to Comrade Avanesov
for all C.L.D. members, circulate for all to read
and sign upon reading
17/X.1921
Comrade Krzhizhanovsky:
I draw your attention to Comrade Rakovsky’s article, “The Famine and Maize”, in Pravda No. 231 (14.X.1921).
In the light of this article, I feel sure that the conclusion of the State Planning Commission’s agricultural section on maize (of 13.IX.1921, signed by Comrade Sereda) is inadequate.
The advantages of maize (and beans) appear to be proven in several respects. Since this is so, faster and more vigorous measures should be taken. Of especial importance is the fact that the seed requirement is between one-tenth and one-fifteenth of the normal quantity.
This appears to be the crucial consideration.
It should be decided right away that the total quantity of maize required for the full sowing of all the spring area throughout the Volga region should be purchased in good time for the sowing in the spring of 1922.
To attain this aim, this should be paralleled by:
1) elaboration of very precise and very circumstantially considered measures for the propaganda of maize and the teaching of peasants to grow maize with the meagre resources now available;
2) urgent discussion of whether practical ways and means can be found to make maize a part of the people’s diet, under the existing conditions in peasant farming, their habits and way of life (cf. page 35, the State Planning Commission’s memo).
I request an immediate discussion of these questions in the agricultural section and the presidium, making sure to collect every shade of opinion on maize.
Report to the C.L.D. on Friday, 21.X.1921.[1]
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
Chairman, C.L.D.
[1] The Gosplan (State Planning Commission) report on the raising of maize was on the C.L.D. agenda for October 21, 1921, but was put off in order to have the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture also take part in deciding this question, in connection with the letter of October 17 from Deputy People’s Commissar for Agriculture, N. Osinsky, who objected to the Gosplan’s agricultural section submitting such important farming questions to the C.L.D. on its own (see also this volume, Document 447).
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