V. I. Lenin

Source: en:CW/CW34; ru:PSS/v46;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

December 14, 1902

Dear G. V.,

It is a long time since I had any news from you, and quite a number of matters and questions have accumulated.

First of all, about articles for *Iskra*. For No. 30 (No. 29 will be out tomorrow or the day after) we have an article by Yuli, “Autumn Results”. Another article would be necessary. What are your views on this? Please write whether you are writing anything and when you intend to send it—also about the feuilleton: it would be very good to have in No. 30 the feuilleton against Tarasov’s “page” which you suggested. I shall await your reply.

Next, about the pamphlet against the Socialist-Revolutionaries. L. Gr. told me and wrote to you that it would be better for you to undertake it, because besides “dogmatic” criticism you could give a historical parallel with the seventies. I fully agree with L. Gr. that such a parallel is very, very important; I, of course, cannot even think of it. And in general I should be very glad if you undertook this pamphlet. I have no great inclination for it, and besides, now, apart from current affairs, I have the job of preparing lectures in Paris (Yuli informs me that they want to invite me there to deliver three or four lectures on the agrarian question). So everything and everybody is in favour of your doing the pamphlet—and it is absolutely necessary against the Socialist-Revolutionaries; they must certainly be thoroughly and completely taken to pieces. They are doing desperate harm to us and to the cause. Write and let me know your decision.

L. Gr.’s reply to *Revolutionary Russia* goes into No. 29; you will receive it, therefore, at the end of the week—you have already seen it in proof.

I learned today that you will be at the international conference in Brussels (probably at the end of December or the beginning of January 209) and that you are to read a paper there. I hope you will certainly look in on us too? It is quite near and will be very cheap during the holidays. And here, in the first place, your paper would be very, very necessary, because there are many workers here infected with anarchism (I became convinced of this when I read my paper here on the Socialist-Revolutionaries, which was not interesting for the local public 210). You would certainly influence them. And then, and this is the main thing, we have accumulated important subjects for conversation, especially on Russian affairs: the long-prepared “Organising Committee” has at last been formed there, and it may play a tremendous role. And it would be extremely important for us jointly to answer a whole number of questions which it has already addressed to us (the questions relate to measures for uniting the Party, the order of the day, Tagesordnung, for the general congress, what papers we are to deliver, etc.—questions of extreme importance in general, and of special significance now).


Please write exactly when the conference in Brussels will be, how many days it will last, and whether you can come here. Then, perhaps it would not be out of place for you at this conference to make use in one way or another of the fact of the formation of the Organising Committee? Write quickly, and we shall make inquiries in Russia: perhaps a statement or a letter to you could even be sent from there in time, if that should be necessary.

Do you see the Zhizn people*? How is the “rapprochement” with them going and what are the chances? And what about the Rabocheye Dyelo people? You know, I think it would be a good thing if they too were to participate in your “Marxist circle” and if you were to begin (informally) to draw closer to them. In the present situation it is not good policy to quarrel with them, and there is no reason for it: by replacing *Rabocheye Dyelo* with *Krasnoye Znamya* they have in fact accepted our plan for the “distribution of literary functions”, and in Martynov’s pamphlet *The Workers and the Revolution* there is nothing harmful (except the stupid “clairvoyant”).

A firm handshake.

Yours,
Lenin

P.S. I am to blame about the Bulgarian.** I confess my fault. I did not write because I had no commissions, and it did not occur to me that you were worried.