Bolshevik Leaders correspondence

Bolshevik leadership Correspondence. 1912-1927
Collection of documents 1996.
Compiled by: A.V.Kvashonkin, L.P.Kosheleva, L.A.Rogovaya, O.V.Khlevnyuk.

No. 186

F. E. Dzerzhinsky to M. A. Trilisser

February 8, 1925

Comrade Trilisseru

In view of our relations with the NKIdel, it is necessary to regulate them by a resolution of the P / Bureau and then strictly adhere to the established rules. I cannot agree to the continuation of these relations in this form, as they have been until now, because the interests of the state suffer unheard of from this. NKIdel is the leader and conductor of the foreign policy of the USSR and the only representative of the USSR for other states. That is why our constant hostile attitude towards the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs disorganizes the prestige of Soviet power in the eyes of foreign countries, and dooms us to complete impotence. Our work and materials are therefore underutilized—to the detriment of the state. And I demand that our relations be streamlined precisely, bearing in mind the need to strengthen our influence and make greater use of the results of the work of the INO and the KRO.

Please report this to Comrade Menzhinsky.

Please submit to me a draft of such regulation, based on the decisions of Comrade Kuibyshev's commission, the Politburo, and so on. T. Litvinov put forward the following points: 1) Arrests of foreigners take place without warning from the NKID. 2) Searches and arrests of foreigners are not sufficiently substantiated. 3) Requests from NKIdel remain unanswered or incorrect answers are given, which as a result discredits not only NKIdel, but also the USSR. This is the heaviest accusation. All its edge is against us. V[ladimir] Ilyich would have cashed us out for this. And as a result, we organize everyone against us and give foreigners a pretext to launch a campaign that in the USSR everything is ruled by the GPU. Politically, this is the most dangerous result. It enables the enemies of the USSR to make the OGPU an organizing element of intervention and counter-revolution. 4) Illegal denial of exit visas to foreigners. 5) Do not try foreigners in the GPU. 6) A more precise definition of the concept of "economic] espionage". 7) Settlement of the issue of INO materials - sending through plenipotentiaries.

It is necessary to have a special representative who is fully responsible for this in order to monitor the progress of specific issues related to the NKI affairs, and not, as it is now, when it is not known who is watching and answering, as in the question of the exchange with the Poles.

February 8, 25

F. Dzerzhinsky 1

RTSKHIDNI. F. 76. Op. 3. D. 349. L. 1. Autograph.

Notes:

oneAt the beginning of July 1930, summing up his activities as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Chicherin wrote: “It was better under Comrade Dzerzhinsky, but later the leaders of the GPU were unbearable because they were insincere, cunning, always trying to lie, cheat us, violate promises, hide facts. T. Litvinov participated in the commission on agreements or the fight against the GPU, he knows how all severed heads grew from this hydra - arrests of foreigners without our consent led to millions of international incidents, and sometimes after many years it turned out that a foreigner was illegally shot (foreigners cannot be executed without trial), but we were not informed of anything. The GPU treats the NKID as a class enemy. At the same time, the frivolity of the GPU exceeds all limits [...] Hence the eternal scandals. A terrible system of constant continuous arrests of all private acquaintances of foreign embassies. This aggravates all our external relations. Even worse are the eternal attempts to force or persuade the servants, the porter, the driver of the embassies, etc., under the threat of arrest, to become GPU informers [...] It is impossible to write about the documents received by the GPU. Internal supervision of the GPU in the NKID and embassies, spying on me, plenipotentiaries, employees is staged in the most ridiculous and barbaric way [...] I had very good relations with Comrade Dzerzhinsky, excellent relations with Comrade Trilisser, diplomatically impeccable with Comrade Menzhinsky, but the agents of the GPU consider me an enemy” (Istochnik. 1995. No. 6, pp. 109-110). ] It is impossible to write about the documents received by the GPU. Internal supervision of the GPU in the NKID and embassies, spying on me, plenipotentiaries, employees is staged in the most ridiculous and barbaric way [...] I had very good relations with Comrade Dzerzhinsky, excellent relations with Comrade Trilisser, diplomatically impeccable with Comrade Menzhinsky, but the agents of the GPU consider me an enemy” (Istochnik. 1995. No. 6, pp. 109-110). ] It is impossible to write about the documents received by the GPU. Internal supervision of the GPU in the NKID and embassies, spying on me, plenipotentiaries, employees is staged in the most ridiculous and barbaric way [...] I had very good relations with Comrade Dzerzhinsky, excellent relations with Comrade Trilisser, diplomatically impeccable with Comrade Menzhinsky, but the agents of the GPU consider me an enemy” (Istochnik. 1995. No. 6, pp. 109-110).