V. I. Lenin

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

21. XII. 1916.

Dear M. N., Received your postcard of 14. XII. 1916. If they write to you that the publisher owes me "besides 500 rubles another 300 rubles", I must say that I consider he owes me more, for he accepted (1) my work on the agrarian question, Volume I** and (2) my wife's brochure on a pedagogical subject. 415 And I think that for what has been accepted, once the manuscript has been delivered, payment is due.

I wrote about this to Petrograd, but my communications with Petrograd are extremely bad and unbearably slow.

NB

You "found it possible" to throw out the criticism of Kautsky from my brochure 416... Sad! Upon my word, sad. Why? Would it not be better to ask the publishers: print directly, dear gentlemen: we, the publishing house, have removed the criticism of Kautsky. Really, that is what should be done... Of course, I am forced to submit to the publisher, but let the publisher not be afraid to say what he wants and what he does not want; let the publisher answer for the cuts, not I.

You write "won't you beat me up?", i.e., for my agreeing to throw out this criticism?? Alas, alas, we live in too civilized an age to settle matters so simply...

Joking aside, it is sad, damn it... Well, I will settle accounts with Kautsky elsewhere.

I firmly press your hand and send my best greetings.

V. Ulyanov