V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v49; en:MT;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

P. Kievsky's article is extremely bad, and his confusion (on the question of democracy in general) is most desperate.*

You know that we have always held you in high esteem and that for months and months we corresponded in detail, pointing out since the spring of 1915 that you were wavering on the question of the minimum programme and democracy. I shall be heartily glad if the polemic is confined to P. Kievsky, who started it, and if the differences with you are smoothed out. But for this you must examine the (disputed) questions on their merits and carefully, and not brush them aside.

I am very, very glad that we are at one with you against "disarmament". I was also very glad to make the acquaintance of Franz: evidently you have done serious work with him in the sense of Bolshevik propaganda; this must be largely your merit. He is trying to go into things and gives considerable promise.

I enclose the certificate. Correspondence with America can be carried on only via Scandinavia; otherwise everything goes astray; the French censorship is shameless.

Regarding America. In 1915 I wrote a number of letters there; they were all confiscated by the accursed French and British censorship.

I should very much like:

(1) To have the manifesto of the Zimmerwald Left published there in English.

(2) The same for our pamphlet on the war (revised for a new edition).

(3) To arrange, if possible, for the free dispatch to the C.C. of the most important publications and pamphlets of the Socialist Party and the Socialist Labour Party (I have only the *Appeal to Reason*).

(4) Kahan, the editor of the Jewish New York newspaper, visited me in Cracow in 1912 and promised, among other things, to send me the publications of the official economic statistics of the United States (these publications

* I do not know what Gregory wrote to you and cannot answer on this point. You call what he wrote "unblushing nonsense"... H'm... h'm! Are you not afraid that this is a tone that "breaks off relations"? I am far from adopting such a tone in my polemic with P. Kievsky.

are distributed free of charge at the editorial office), saying that such a consignment would not be any trouble at all to our paper, with its huge circulation. He did not keep his promise. If you see him, sound him out: is it hopeless or not?

(5) It would be a good thing to form a small group of Russian Bolsheviks and Latvian Bolsheviks capable of following the interesting literature, sending it, writing about it, translating and printing what we send from here, and generally discussing and "promoting" various questions concerning the Third International and the "Left" in the international socialist movement.

If a couple of the more active Bolsheviks were linked up with a couple of Latvians who know English well, the thing might perhaps be brought off.

(6) In general, pay special attention to the Latvians and, in particular, try to see Berzin. I think you can find him through Strahdneks.

(7) At the end of 1914 or in 1915 I received from America a leaflet of the Socialist Propaganda League with a *profession de foi* in the spirit of the Zimmerwald Left. I enclose the address. I sent them a long letter in English. Probably lost? I shall try to find it and send you a copy if, on inquiry, you find it is worth while. I also wrote to the Latvians about the same League through Strahdneks: probably that, too, was lost.

(8) America should be a base for work against the British bourgeoisie, which has carried censorship to the point of savagery. This refers to § 5.

(9) Try to answer us at once, even if only by a two-line postcard, so as to try to keep up proper communications with America; and warn us in advance (one to one and a half months ahead) of the time of your return.

To Christiania (Oslo)

---

Sent from Zurich

First published in 1932

in the magazine *Bolshevik* No. 22

Printed from the manuscript