Dear Vladimir Dmitrievich! I have received your letter and hasten to reply. I cannot in the least understand what caused your quarrel and what the essence of 274 is. Why not sell 20–30 copies of *Zarya*, what the “running ahead” consists in here, is not clear to me. It seemed to me such a private question of forwarding work that it should be entirely left to the head of the forwarding, i.e., to you. I am writing to Martyn Nikolaevich today to try to settle the quarrel. You need not get over‑excited about individual expressions, even sharp ones, even unjust ones. You can see that everyone’s nerves are frayed—the foul situation created by the new traitors in the Central Committee is to blame. Perhaps we shall soon be finally done with all this and begin new work—then the ground for petty conflicts will disappear. Meanwhile, we must try to put up with it, and to sharp remarks I would reply with jokes about the “smashing torpedo‑boat” 275. I fully understand your irritation, but nothing can be thought of here except jokes. A dispute will arise—drag out the decision of the matter, write here, that’s all. Please take all and every measure to speed up the appearance of

1) the pamphlet by Ryadovoi and Galerka,  
2) your statement with documents,  
3) Galerka’s pamphlet, sent off today 276.

How is Ilya? He was at my place yesterday, I told him the matter 277, but he still does not make up his mind. Have you given him my 1) letter concerning the agreement of 26.5.04, 2