V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v50; en:CW/CW44;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

2/VI. 1918.

Comrade Ioffe! Sokolnikov and Bukharin are coming to see you, and, it seems, Larin too. 106 I am taking advantage of the opportunity to give you a word of warning. I am sitting in at the meeting of the “departing” delegates (without Larin). I hear speeches against the fact that “Ioffe is transferring the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs to Berlin”.

Friction between you and Chicherin is sometimes being used—more unconsciously than consciously—in the sense or direction of aggravating this friction.

I am sure you will be on the alert and will not allow this friction to be aggravated. I have been carefully following your

* At the top of the document V. I. Lenin wrote: “If it is impossible to transmit this at once by telephone to Petrograd, then by direct line.”—Ed.

letters and am firmly convinced that this friction is not serious (there is chaos everywhere, lack of accuracy everywhere—in all commissariats, and this evil is slow to cure). Patience and perseverance, and the friction will be smoothed out. Chicherin is an excellent worker, your line is quite loyally carrying out the Brest Treaty, you have already achieved success, in my opinion—and from this it follows that the friction can easily be smoothed out.

If the German merchants take economic advantages, having realised that you cannot get anything from us by war, that we will burn everything, then your policy will continue to be successful. We shall be able to supply the Germans with raw materials. In important matters send me copies of your exact demands. Get the direct line installed as soon as possible.

Bukharin is loyal, but has gone to “Left stupidity” to the devil. Sokolnikov has gone off the rails again. Larin is a vacillating intellectual, a first-class muddler. Therefore be extremely on the alert with all these very nice and very excellent delegates. Sokolnikov is a most valuable worker, but sometimes (and just now) he “gets an attack” and “breaks the crockery” because of paradoxes. If you do not take precautions, he will break the crockery there with you. And Bukharin will do it three times as much. Prenez garde!*
I hope that Krasin and Ganetsky, as business-like people, will help you and that everything will be arranged.

Thank you for the “enclosure” to your letter. I am waiting for more. Best greetings.

Yours, Lenin

P.S.

NB: Among the Russian Bolsheviks taken prisoner by Germany (Zivilgefangene**) was Popov from Brussels, who was captured in Belgium. Could he not be found and taken into the service? 107

P.P.S. Try to send the enclosure to Switzerland 108 by courier—but not by post.

*—Be on your guard. Ed.

**—civilian prisoners, i.e., civilians taken prisoner. Ed.