August 5, 1935.

Hello, Vyacheslav!

I received your letter. Regarding the full abolition this year of industrial and food ration cards, you are of course right. This matter must be brought to completion.

The Comintern Congress has turned out rather well. It will be even more interesting after the reports of Dimitrov and Ercoli (Togliatti — Ed.). The delegates make a good impression. The draft resolutions have turned out rather well. I think the time has come to create in the Comintern system the post of first secretary (General Secretary). I believe Dimitrov could be designated as first secretary. Pyatnitsky, Manuilsky, and others (from among the foreigners) could be brought in as secretaries — into the Secretariat of the Executive Committee of the Comintern.

I am, indeed, a little tired. I had to fuss with the Comintern people, with the control figures for 1936, with all sorts of current matters — one can't help getting tired. But it is nothing — fatigue passes quickly if one rests for a day, or even a few hours.

Greetings!

I. STALIN

Pisma I.V. Stalina V.M. Molotovu 1925–1936. Moscow, 1995. P. 252.