NOTE TO L. B. KAMENEV AND REMARKS ON V. V. ADORATSKY’S LETTER

Comrade Kamenev:

This is from Comrade Adoratsky . See him and help him.

Yours,

Lenin

Dear Vladimir Ilyich:

...  I should very much like to carry on and complete the initial plan, namely, to compile

X

a collection of “Selected Letters of Marx and Engels on Questions of Theory and Politics”. I am
now much more confident, because I have gained greater mastery of the subject....

I should like to see you and discuss some of

Vladimir
Viktorovich
Adoratsky my doubts. If this is possible, call me. I am
always at the Central Archives, 8 Vagankovsky, telephones 1–78–38 or 1–75–86.

It would be well if you wrote me a paper or something, have
written [1] saying that I have been authorised to do this work, and that I should be given
assistance at the Socialist Academy in my studies there.
If I were able to devote 4 hours or so to the work at the Socialist Academy every morning, I could
have everything ready for the printer’s within a couple of months. I do not quite understand what
means assigning “the concern” about the letters

# Sometimes it
also pays to do this!

to Comrade Kamenev. If it means giving me a shove now and then to keep me from forgetting

#

about them, that is not necessary—I remember it very well. If it means assistance, consultation
and help—that would be really fine. I should be very glad to be able to consult with someone.

X I’m afraid I can’t.

X

But I should like to have your final review and sanction...

I have a general outline of the plan of this book, and I should like to make a final
arrangement. The publication is to be in chronological

XX Quite right!

order. Some letters, for instance, the one to An-

XX

nenkov—in full, others—only in extracts.

The material to be selected on theory:
philosophy, economic theory, the theory of history, the
revolution, the class struggle, historical remarks; on politics: the proletariat and other classes, the
labour movement in the various countries, assessment of political leaders, petty-bourgeois
democracy.

Am I to confine myself to theory and politics, And so do I.
( Lenin )

or devote some space to letters shedding light on
Marx’s life, and being of interest for a biography?
I think this is not necessary.

There is to be an introductory article dealing

To make the under- standable , they must have notes .

briefly with all the questions and indicating the

} e t|; ers most important parts of the letters relating to
them.