missile _Marxist Victory_, let me point out that the distance from
launching-site to target is somewhat over 50 percent greater than the
distance from launching-site to your capital, Nanking.

My Government is still hopeful that your Government will revise its
present intransigeant position on the Khakum River dispute.

I have the honor, etc., etc., etc.,

V. N. Dzhoubinsky

[Illustration:]




_Wu Fung Tung, to Vladmir N. Dzhoubinsky_:


7 Feb., 1984

Estimable Sir:

My Government was most delighted to learn of the splendid triumph of
your Government in developing the new guided missile _Marxist
Victory_, and at the same time deeply relieved. We had, of course,
detected the release of nuclear energy incident to the test, and
inasmuch as it had obviously originated in the disintegration of a
quantity of Uranium 235, we had feared that an explosion had occurred
at your Government's secret uranium plant at Khatanga. We have long