V. I.

Lenin

631

To:   M. M. GRUZENBERG

Comrade Gruzenberg, Comrade Murphy has told me that the translation of
the theses contains solecisms.

You must yourself undertake (or immediately organise a group to help) good editing of the translation of all the
theses.

Consult the English comrades about this.

Regarding Wijnkoop: I have sent Radek his statement (written by Wijnkoop in English). Whether the English is
good, I do not know. Take from Radek everything sent by me
(if necessary, forward this letter to him), and check, please,
if the English is good. (The content of the statement: the
Dutch Party is not responsible for “Leftism”, the latter is
the work of certain Dutchmen.)

( Print only this statement and my statement that I am introducing corrections in the
text. [1] )

Regarding the quality of the English translations, you must take good care and set up a group of responsible
Englishmen (with their responsibility in written form ),
otherwise we shall be blamed (and so will you).

Greetings, Yours, Lenin

8/VII.

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Notes:
[1]
In speaking of Wijnkoop’s statement, Lenin is referring to the
letter from him of June 30, 1920, about the book “Left-Wing” Communism—an Infantile Disorder , with which the Dutch delegation
became acquainted at the Second Congress of the Communist
International before translations of the Russian text had been
published. Wijnkoop’s letter and Lenin’s reply to it were first
published in the English translation of the book, issued in
Moscow in 1920, and in the Russian text of the book in 1930 in the