V. I.

Lenin

102

To:   M. N. POKROVSKY [2]

July 2, 1916

Dear M. N., I am sending you the manuscript [1] today by registered
post. All the material, the plan and the greater part of the
work were already completed on the plan as ordered, 5 signatures (200 manuscript pages), so that to cut it down once
more to 3 signatures was absolutely impossible. It will be
terribly disappointing if they don’t publish it! Wouldn’t
it be possible at least to get it printed in the journal of
the same publisher? [3] Unfortunately, for some reason my
correspondence with him has lapsed.... As regards the name
of the author, I would, of course, prefer my usual pseudonym.
If that is inconvenient, I suggest another: N. Lenivtsyn.
Or if you want to, take any other. As regards the notes, I
would earnestly ask you to retain them; you will see from
No. 101 that they are exceptionally important for me. And
then in Russia the students, etc., are also readers: they
need to have the literature indicated to them. I deliberately
selected a most economical system (in the sense of space and
paper ). Using small type, 7 manuscript pages mean something like two pages of print. I particularly ask you to leave
in the notes, or to appeal to the publisher to leave them.
As regards the title: if the one given is inconvenient, if it
is desirable to avoid the word imperialism, then put in:
“The Basic Peculiarities of Contemporary Capitalism.” (The
subheading, “A Popular Outline”, is unquestionably necessary, because a number of important matters are set forth
in that style.) The first sheet with a list of chapters, some
of which have headings that are perhaps not quite convenient from the point of view of the restrictions, I am sending
for you. If you find it more convenient and safer, retain
it and don’t send it further. Altogether it would be very
pleasant if both could be printed in the journal of the same
publisher. If you see nothing inconvenient in this, drop
them a line about it. I shall be very grateful to you. I shake
your hand and send my best greetings.

P.S. I strove with all my might to adapt myself to the “restrictions”. It’s terribly difficult for me and I feel there
is a great deal of unevenness on account of this. But it can’t
be helped!

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Notes:
[1]
This was the MS. of Lenin’s book Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (see present edition, Vol. 22, pp. 185–304).— Ed .

[2]
Pokrovsky, M. N. (1868–1932)—member of the Bolshevik Party
from 1905, prominent Soviet statesman and historian.

From 1908 to 1917 he lived abroad. During the years of reaction he
became associated with the otzovists and ultimatumists, and then with the
anti-Party Vperyod group, with which he broke in 1911. During the
imperialist world war he worked for the Centrist newspapers Golos
and Nashe Slovo , returning to Russia in 1917. From November 1917
to March 1918, he was Chairman of the Moscow Soviet, from 1919, Deputy
Commissar for Education of the R.S.F.S.R., and from 1929 onwards, a member
of the Academy of Sciences.

[3]
Reference is to Letopis (Chronicle), published by Maxim Gorky.