Letter to Mikhail Pokrovsky, Between August 5 and 31, 1916

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Dear Editor,

I am so scared by the ridiculous and incredible loss of an absolutely innocuous manuscript that I am afraid even to mention your name.

I am afraid that my letter, too, has been copied. I asked there, that if it was inconvenient to take the usual pseudonym (V. Ilyin), to use N. Lenivtsyn. Now we shall have to use another: V. I. Ivanovsky, let us say.

I advised there (if the word “imperialism” is so “horrifying”) to change the title, sag, to: “The Peculiarities of Contemporary Capitalism”.

Now this will have to be changed again: “Latest Economic Data on Modern Capitalism” or something like that.

The titles (chapter headings) to be deleted (when sent to Russia). Perhaps even the chapter headings should be changed? It could be done.

I would ask you to keep the present format (which is what I was asked to do). No cuts can be made without breaking it up.

(Unless we throw out whole chapters at the end? So that I can use them in another place? This at the very worst of worsts! I am all for no cuts.)

Please leave the notes, they are important (especially No. 101 ), and the literature too should be indicated, for in Russia you have students and suchlike people who read.

Your editorial changes and improvements, of course, I shall accept with pleasure.

My best regards,

Lenin