LETTER TO A. A. IOFFE
2/VI. 1918
Comrade Ioffe! Sokolnikov and Bukharin are coming to you, and, it seems, also Larin!. I am taking this opportunity to warn you a little. I am sitting in a meeting of "departing" (without Larin). I hear speeches against the fact that "Ioffe is transferring the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs to Berlin."
Friction between you and Chicherin is sometimes used - more unconsciously than consciously - in the sense or direction of exacerbating this friction.
I am sure that you will be on the alert and will not allow this friction to escalate. I have followed your letters carefully and am unshakably convinced
that this friction is unimportant (chaos everywhere, inaccuracy everywhere - in all commissariats, and the treatment of this evil is slow). Patience and persistence, and the friction will be settled. Chicherin is an excellent worker, your line is fully loyally implementing the Brest treaty, you already have success, in my opinion - and from this it follows that the friction is easily settled.
If the German merchants take economic advantages, understanding that they will not take anything from us by war, we will burn everything, - then your policy will continue to be successful. Give raw materials to the Germans.
* The manuscript breaks off at this point.