V. I. LENIN — TO V. M. KASPAROV
TO BERLIN.
[Postmarked June 14, 1913] 1
Dear Comrade! I have received and read your article. The topic—though, in my view—has been well chosen and soundly developed; it is, however, not yet sufficiently polished from a literary standpoint. There is a good deal of what might be described as “agitation” that does not quite fit the theoretical character of the article. In my opinion, either you should revise it yourself, or we will attempt to do so.
Many thanks for the news about Kostrov.* Please ask Avel** to write to us more often and keep us informed. This is important—and yet we know nothing at all.
Could you possibly obtain and translate Kostrov’s articles: (a) against the liquidators; (b) on the national question, with particular emphasis on cultural and national autonomy; and (c) most importantly—against Plekhanov’s preface to Arkomed,2 and against Plekhanov’s defense of hegemony?
I am leaving for a few weeks to Bern.3 Upon my return, I hope we shall once again engage in lively correspondence.
With warm regards,
Yours, Lenin
P.S. Thanks for No. [of] Pravda.4
1 The date is determined on the basis of a letter from N. Krupskaya to V. Kasparov, dated June 14, 1913, in which she reported having received his article (archive no. 27005), which had been intended for publication in “Prosvetlenie” (see archive no. 26093, letter from V. Kasparov to S. Shaumyan from Berlin, July 19, 1913), though the article never appeared in “Prosvetlenie.”
2 We are referring to the book by S. II. Arkomed, “The Workers’ Movement and Social Democracy in the Caucasus,” which included a preface by G. V. Plekhanov. Geneva, 1910.
N. Zhordapia (Kostrov) published his articles in the Georgian journal “Ts’karo” (“The Source”), which was issued in Baku.
3 Lenin traveled to Bern for an operation on N. Krupskaya.
4 We are referring to the issue of “Pravda” containing the article “A Dubious Misstep,” about which Lenin wrote to Kasparov in his letter of June 14 (see above, p. 218).
* — II. Zhordapia. Ed.
** — A. Enukidze. Rev.