LAURA LAFARGUE 

AT LE PERREUX 
London, 27 May 1892 

My dear Lafargue, 

I congratulate you on your success. With your daily now under 
way *?9 (unless you get thrown out again, which would be your fault 

entirely this time), and with the provinces To Back you, you will con- 
quer Paris under the noses of the Possibilo-Blanquists. 

Bebel and Singer are here.*7* This morning I had a talk with Be- 
bel on the subject of a German correspondent. If you haven’t yet written 
to Berlin about this matter, we would ask you not to do so for the mo- 
ment, but in the meantime to let us know what kind of information 
you require—reports on the situation in general and on that of the 
Party in particular? 

As for me, I can only say that if you could get Bebel to act as your 
correspondent you would have reports of the utmost value. At the 
time of the Anti-Socialist Law '! Bebel wrote a weekly report for Ad- 
ler’s Arbeiter-Ceitung in Vienna. Those reports were such that, before 
forming a definite opinion on an important fact or an important mat- 
ter affecting Germany at that time, I would always try to read what 
Bebel had to say in his articles. It was clear, concise, To THE Point and 
always accurate. 

Bebel would write in German and Laura would, I trust, translate. 
You would have facts, whereas all you would get out of Liebknecht 
would be hot air. And Liebknecht would pride himself on writing to 
you in French. You would correct his style and he would tell you that 
you had mangled his facts and ideas. 

I shall write to Ravé as soon as I have received and read Roy’s 
translation. It’s a ticklish matter and I shouldn’t like Laura’s work to 
be wasted. What I have read of it is decidedly better than Roy’s 
translation.*** And then there’s the question of a publisher! Has he 
got one? As for Ravé’s promises, which he hasn’t kept, he excuses 
himself on the grounds that he has been held up by the additions 
to the fourth edition. Anyway it’s a pretty unpleasant business, 
which I can’t really fathom at this moment. However we shall 
see. 

*Now my dear Lohr a few words with you. In that new daily pa- 
per you are an absolutely necessary factor. If the thing is to be supe- 
rior to the usual run of Parisian dailies, there must be somebody who 
follows closely from day to day, and reports on, from time to time, the 
English and German movement. And you are the only person in toute 
la belle France* who can do this. I have no doubt that you are per- 
fectly ready to undertake this work, which fortunately can be done 

* the whole fair country of France 

very comfortably at Le Perreux, as it will not matter a bit whether 
these news, generally, are published a day sooner or a day later. But 
what I want to drive into you, poking your ribs with both my forefing- 
ers, is that you must be a regular member of the rédaction* and paid 
accordingly. Paul is too much of an hidalgo to think of, or to press, 
such matters, but ‘zt mun be done’ as they say in Lancashire, and I think 
it is my duty to call your and Paul’s attention to it. The subject is too 
important to be neglected, and it will not be properly treated unless 
you are rédactrice du Soctaliste quotidien” and charged with that special 
branch. 
Bebel and Louise send their kindest regards. 

*x 
Ever yours, 

F.E,