V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v46; en:CW/CW43;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

February 8, 1903

Dear Comrade,

I have received all the materials. Thank you. As for fiction, I do not yet know whether it will do. I am thinking of running an article on the sectarians in the army in No. 33. About the strike in Galicia I cannot say anything yet: it is too big.

As regards the collection of money (for popular literature), you should apply (as in all administrative matters) to Mr. Leo Alleman, 26, Granville Square, 26, Kings Cross Road, London W.C. I saw him the other day and he, it seems, agrees with me that new subscription lists would be superfluous. The League already has subscription lists, you know: they should be circulated more widely. As for the Iskra Library, that, of course, depends on the entire Editorial Board. Talk it over with Plekhanov. To tell the truth, I would not vote for it at present. To found a “library” you must have a special editor for it (we have none) or special forces (we have none). You must have a series of books and pamphlets selected according to their character (which we do not have). To lump together Kautsky, Thun, etc., into a library would, in my opinion, be extremely artificial.

What is the use of a “library”? If there are good pamphlets we shall publish them even without a library. But at present we have few pamphlets and no good translators (I am having a hard time revising a translation). So why make a loud promise of a “library”??

If you succeed in organising good translating forces and in selecting good things for translation, the job will be very useful and will certainly succeed.

I shake your hand.

Yours,
Lenin