Letter to Karl Radek, August 19, 1915

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Dear Comrade Radek,

I return your draft. Not a word about social– chauvinism and (=) opportunism and the struggle against them!! Why such an embellishing of the evil and concealment from the working masses of their main enemy in the Social-Democratic parties?

Will you make an ultimatum of insisting that not a word should be said openly about a ruthless struggle against opportunism?

I hope to arrive two days earlier (i.e., September 2–3) if you inform me that the Germans will also come earlier (otherwise Zinoviev will come alone).

(Your draft is too “academic”, not a militant appeal, not a fighting manifesto.)

Will you be sending your draft to Wijnkoop? Are you insisting that they (the Dutch) should come?

Please send me at once the (German) translation of my draft (about which you wrote to Wijnkoop) and the translation of our resolution of 1913 (the nationalities question). That makes two things.

We must make every effort to publish our pamphlet (in German) before September 5. I am writing today to Kasparov that he should help you and find another translator (in Berne—Comrade Kinkel). Can you (with Kasparov) work at “extra speed” and translate this pamphlet in the course of a week? And what about the printing? Can it be printed in three or four days? We must make every effort and do this!

I beg you to reply immediately.

Yours,

N. Lenin