V. I.

Lenin

79

To:   Y. O. MARTOV

Sent 19.XII. 03

Dear Comrade, The C.C. leaves it to the editors of the Central Organ to issue
instructions to Comrade Bonch-Bruyevich as regards both the text of the
statement “From the Editors” in his paper [1] and the nature of the literary supervision to be
exercised. Both questions in our opinion are within the competence of the
C.O. and we cannot undertake to issue instructions on them to Comrade
Bonch-Bruyevich.

The editors should have taken up the mediocrity of the articles and
Comrade Bonch-Bruyevich’s inexperience not with the C. C. but with Comrade
Bonch-Bruyevich himself.

The C. C. will of course receive the proofs and will do its best to
advise in particularly important matters. We do not think the question of
the text of the statement is very important, but “special supervision” by
the C. O. over a publication like Bonch-Bruyevich’s paper would, in our
opinion, be useful.

We shall consider the question of most convenient type.

We have left it to Comrade Bonch-Bruyevich himself to hand in the copy
to the printers if the editors of the C.O. have no objections to this.