V. I.

Lenin

126

To:   V. D. BONCH-BRUYEVICH [1]

17.X. 05

Dear Comrade, The Scholtz affair has taken such a turn that the Party is likely to
suffer a serious loss through the fault of the manager of the printing
shop. [2]

Besides, fulfilment by the Party printery of Demos orders also involves
losses for the Party since things are not properly handled.

In view of this and considering that the affairs of Demos, supervision
over which has been entrusted to me by the Central Committee,
cannot require your presence in London later than October 21 (new
style), I urgently request you, on agreement with Iv. P., to give
up the trip to Berlin and to leave at once for Geneva to settle
the matters entrusted to you by the C.C.

N. Lenin

P.S. I draw your attention to the fact that to refer to Demos business
in justification of your continued absence would not be right on your part,
for I have communicated with I.P. and learned that Demos business equally
requires your immediate return.

P.P.S. Scholtz filed a suit (for 2,031 frs. 25) On October 17. Payment
falls due on October 27. We need a few days (a minimum of five) for legal
consultation.

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Notes:
[1]
This letter bears the note by Lenin: “Sent 17/X.05”.— Ed .

[2]
The Scholtz affair —an impending suit for damages filed by
the Geneva printer Scholtz against the Social-Democratic Demos Publishers
for violation of a contract for the printing of Maxim Gorky’s play The Children of the Sun . Demos Publishers was founded abroad in September
1905 and its editors were I. P. Ladyzhnikov, Yelena Stasova,
V. D. Bonch-Bruyevich and R. P. Avramov.

The Party printing shop which was to set up the play in type did not
observe the time limits stipulated in the contract with Scholtz’s printery
owing to a shortage of type, whereupon the latter presented a claim for
damages.

According to I. P. Ladyzhnikov, the matter was settled out of court by
paying Scholtz a certain sum of money.