Comrade Ioffe and Menzhinskii
24/V. 1918.

Dear comrades! I received your pessimistic and angry letters (I received the one from 20. V today, 24. V). Part of your accusations directed against Chicherin fall on me. For example, I insisted on sending theses on concessions through the Germans, in order to show them how seriously we want business-like economic relations. (The theses were worked out unanimously with the participation of Radek and other "left-simpletons".) The conditions of our concessions are such that nothing but advantage for us will result if the Germans accept these conditions.

Your policy, especially as set forth in detail in comrade Ioffe's letters, I fully approve.

Your discontent with Chicherin, in my opinion, is exaggerated. But in any case I am prepared to help you and ask that you direct efforts toward practical ways to improve matters. For this I would propose that concrete proposals be formulated precisely (send me copies of telegrams and letters, in the strictly practical and brief part, as I absolutely have no time to read everything). Then I promise to strive for implementation and verify whether it has been carried out.

How to shift the center of gravity more to Berlin (I agree to help with this) — about this you must think and propose very tactful (NB) and concretely practical measures for this. I will accept all possible measures and will try to carry them out.

If it is possible to help achieve peace with Finland, Ukraine, and Turkey (that is the crux of the matter), one must always do everything for this (of course, without certain new annexations and tributes this cannot be achieved). I would give much for acceleration of such a peace.

Don't get nervous either. To correct (and create anew) diplomacy is a difficult matter.

Festina lente*.

Best regards.

Your Lenin

P.S.
28/V. Late for the courier.

Chicherin transmitted to me the text of a note which Ioffe sent on his own account to the German government, agreeing to the surrender of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet (i.e., to their withdrawal from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol) 97 on the condition

* — Make haste slowly. Ed.

RESOLUTION ON A MEMORANDUM. 24 MAY 1918

only of peace with Ukraine. Meanwhile our government in a clear note (communicated by radio to Ioffe as well) recognized it possible to agree to the withdrawal of ships to Sevastopol on other conditions, namely: 1) peace on all three fronts, i.e., with both Ukraine and Finland and Turkey; 2) non-annexation of Sevastopol.

How could Ioffe make such a mistake? How could he "sell out so cheaply"? How was it possible at all to send a note on such an important question on his own account, without consulting, without informing — I do not understand...

N.B. Send *Arbeiterpolitik*, the Stuttgart *Sozial-Demokrat* 98 and similar publications — everything, in full, 5-10 copies of each.

Have you begun publishing anything legal in German? What exactly? What is the plan for publication and when does it begin?

Regards! Lenin

Sent to Berlin

First printed in 1959 in Lenin Collection XXXVI

Printed from the manuscript