14.VIII 1918.

Dear Comrade Berzin!

I am taking advantage of the opportunity to write a few words of greeting. I thank you for the editions from the bottom of my heart: do not spare any effort for the editions in 3 (and 4) languages and for distribution1. The Berliners2 will send more money: if these bastards delay, complain to me formally.

Your Lenin.

P.S. Send a copy of interesting newspapers (with reviews of the Beks1*) and new brochures, anything and everything: English, French, German and Italian. Don't spare any money.

Greetings to Gorter and Gilbo! It would be good if people well-read in [all] peaceful socialist literature would send us good quotations suitable for inscriptions on the streets (for the information of Gorter and others), etc.

[P.]P.S. Give the enclosed to Platten3.

Did you help Ichner and the Swiss Left? Spare no expense!!!

The inscription on the envelope

To the Russian Ambassador in Bern, Ya. Berzin (from Lenin).

Published with the bills - Lenin V.I. Complete Collected Works, vol. 50, с. 150

Fund 2, op. 1, d. 24310 - autograph

1* B-ki - Bolsheviks

1With a similar request V.I.Lenin addressed to Ya.A.Berzin on August 3, 1918: "For God's sake, do not spare money for the publications (in German, French, Italian, English) and sooner, sooner" (Lenin V.I. Complete Collected Works, vol. 50, p. 135).

2Berliners - diplomatic representation of Soviet Russia in Germany. R.Pipes in The Unknown Lenin (New Heaven and London, 1996, p. 50) misinterprets this word.

3Letter from Lenin to F. Platten of August 14, 1918. - See Lenin's Collection XXXVII, p. 99.