IN ST. PETERSBURG 

London, 5 March 1895 
41 Regent’s Park Road, N. W. 

My dear Sir, 

I am very sorry, in reply to your kind letter of Jan. 29". to inform you that 
our author” has not left any manuscripts relating to his views upon, and 
deductions from the state of landed property in Russia such as might be 
useful to the Russian translator. °*’ All I have been able to find 

 Nicholas II - ° Karl Marx 

are simple and very voluminous extracts from Russian sources statistical and 
generally economical, but, and this more or less against his habit, not 
interspersed with observations of his own. 

I enclose you a letter received from Berlin for you, and am requested by 
the Mr. Engels mentioned in it to complete it by the following bits of 
information. Mr. Engels received some time ago an inquiry from a Dr. Lux 
who writes on economic subjects: whether the Essays* were worth 
translating, and if so, would he do something to assist the publication of a 
German translation? to which he replied, that he was very desirous of seeing 
a German translation brought out, and that not only would he recommend the 
same for publication to Dietz, but also very gladly write an article upon it, 
when brought out, in the Neue Zeit, pointing out the importance of the results 
of your inquiries, but at the same time also stating that he differed from some 
of the conclusions arrived at by you. At the same time he stated, that he, 
Engels, had no right whatever to authorise a translation, but that the 
translator, a friend of Dr. Lux, had better apply to you direct for your 
permission. To avoid indiscretion, he insisted that the letter to you should be 
sent through him. 

The translator, a young Russian? in Berlin, was said to be capable of 
undertaking the work (Dr. Lux’s wife is a Russian lady), and Dr. Lux has 
promised to revise the German text in order to insure correctness. The 
translator is also said to have occupied himself with economical subjects, so 
as to be no stranger to the contents of your book. 

The letter enclosed seems to assume that your consent has already been 
given, at least I cannot find in it any trace of a formal request to you to that 
effect. I know that some young Russians abroad* are of opinion that such is 
an unnecessary formality, but such is not my opinion, and if you feel 
inclined to entertain at all Mr. Konov’s proposal, I think a hint in that 
direction might do the young man good. 

As to myself I know nothing at all of the intended translation. 

If you will kindly send me your reply to Mr Konov, I will see that it is 
forwarded at once. °** 

Yours very sincerely 
LK 

 Nikolai-on. [Danielson N. Fr.], Essays (see FN p. 308) - ° Andrei Konov - © [word in Russian] - 
“ Engels used Louise Kautsky’s initials for his pen-name.