15/IX. 11.

Dear A. M.! I last wrote to you, it must be, about two months ago—at the beginning of the school (which has now ended and the students have dispersed) 52. There was no reply—I thought perhaps the "negotiations" had dragged on or something had changed radically. A few days ago Leshchenko was here, told me about Capri, and I was very glad to learn that the whole matter came about because of the postponement of the meetings you had planned until "after the fair" 53. As for the plans—Leshchenko said—on Capri they remain the same: both a thick journal and a large newspaper, and also, it seems, a penny newspaper.

* In the manuscript the figure is crossed out. Ed.

Yes, yes, now would be just the right moment. The Liquidators are buying (so they say in Petersburg, from where we received a letter today) the "Kievskaya Kopeyка" 54 and moving it to Petersburg. It would be extremely important to organize resistance to them.

So far we have only managed to scrape together the last kopecks to resume the publication of "*Zvezda*." We are counting very much on your assistance: send us an article. Assistance is especially important at the beginning, since it will not be easy to restore the interrupted publication.

Did you receive and read Kamenev's brochure? I have hopes that it should dispel some of the prejudices that you apparently harbor against its author.

Things in party affairs are in a healthy mess, but we are getting closer to a denouement all the same. Plekhanov is wavering—this always happens with him before a denouement, like an illness. Martov sent Kautsky and Zetkin a translation (on typewriter) of his brochure, which helped us greatly: both Kautsky and Zetkin severely denounced the brochure, the former as "abominable," the latter as "dirty" 55.

Well, all the best. Write for "*Zvezda*."

Drop a few lines if you're not too busy. Best regards to Maria Fyodorovna.

Your Lenin (Italy)

Sent from Paris to the island of Capri

First published in 1925 in Lenin Miscellany III

Printed from the manuscript