V. I.

Lenin

22

To:   R. E. KLASSON [1]

The group publishing and editing Iskra and Zarya turns to you as one who took part together with us in one of the first Marxist publishing
undertakings, [2] and who has always sympathised with the political
activity of Social-Democracy, with a request for financial assistance. The
future of the entire business now largely depends on such
assistance, for the initial funds have been used up in getting started and
it will take at least a year of full-scale work for the enterprise to begin
paying for itself. In the spring of last year (1900) one of us had a talk
with your friend (whom you probably now often see) who also expressed
confidence that you would not refuse to help. We hoped that with your
connections you would be able to collect a substantial lump sum, though our
organisation is of course in need of periodical contributions as well.

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Notes:
[1]
This letter is an enclosure to a letter of May 28, 1901 (see present edition, Vol. 34, p. 70).— Ed .

[2]
The reference is to R. E. Klasson’s part in putting out the symposium
Material for a Characterisation of Our Economic Development
printed in April 1895.