Comrade Joffe and Dzerzhinsky
24/V. 1918.

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

I fully approve of your policy, especially detailed in the letters of Comrade Joffe.

In my opinion, your dissatisfaction with Chicherin is exaggerated. But in any case, I agree to help you and ask you to direct your efforts to practical ways to improve the situation. For this, I would suggest formulating specific proposals precisely
(send copies of telegrams and letters to me, in a strictly practical and brief part, because
I absolutely never have time to read everything). Then I promise to seek execution and check whether it has been executed.

How to shift more weight to Berlin (I agree to help with this), you must think about this and propose very tactful (NB) and specifically
-practical measures for this. I will take any possible measures and try to
implement them.

If it is possible to help obtain peace with Finland, Ukraine, and Turkey
(this is the crux), we must always do everything for this (of course, without any new annexations and tributes, this cannot be obtained). I would give a lot for the acceleration of such peace.

Don't be nervous either. Correcting (and creating new) diplomacy is a difficult task.

Festina lente*.

Best regards.

Yours, Lenin

P. S.
28/V. I was late to the courier.

Chicherin gave me the text of the note that Joffe sent on his own behalf to the German government, agreeing to hand over the ships of the Black Sea Fleet (i.e., to withdraw them from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol) 97 on the condition

* - Hasten slowly. Ed.

RESOLUTION ON THE MEMORANDUM. MAY 24, 1918

only of peace with Ukraine. Meanwhile, our government in a clear note (reported by radio and to Joffe) acknowledged the possibility of agreeing to the withdrawal of ships to Sevastopol on
other conditions, namely: 1) peace on all three fronts, i.e., with Ukraine, Finland, and Turkey; 2) non-annexation of Sevastopol.

How could Joffe make such a mistake? How could he "undersell" so much? How could
it be possible at all to send a note on such an important issue on his own behalf, without consulting,
I don't understand...

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

Have you started publishing anything legal in German? What exactly? What is the publication plan and when is the start?

Greetings! Lenin

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Sent to Berlin

First published in 1959 in Lenin Miscellany XXXVI

Printed from manuscript