Karl Radek (1885– 1939) was the head of the International Information Bureau of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party. In 1934, he gave an address on foreign literature to the first Soviet Writers’ Conference, where he denounced the likes of Proust and Joyce. He was arrested and tried in 1939, at the peak of Stalin Purges, and perished at the Western Siberian labor camp.

9 November 1934

Dear Comrade Stalin!

Comrade [Maxim] Litvinov has forwarded to me the request of the journal New Statesman, which published the transcript of Your conversation with Wells, that I should write an article about Wells's commentary on his conversation with You. Comrade Litvinov is also urging me to write the article. Since the matter concerns a conversation with You, and in this article it would be impossible not to comment on that conversation— and, besides, Comrade Litvinov wants me to ridicule Wells (and he is right, since one cannot react to Wells's article in any other way)— I believe I need Your instructions as to how to phrase my article and what to emphasize.

I think that ridicule should be just the form of the article but its main focus should be on revealing the social basis for Wells's stupidity. One needs to show the bourgeois prejudices of the intelligentsia which prevent them from understanding what is going on, as well as to underscore the importance of Your conversation with that intelligentsia through Wells. Otherwise it would come across as just ridicule and bitching, similar to bitching when one does not succeed in charming some dame he likes.

Attached is the translation of this article. With heartfelt greetings, K. Radek 9/ 11/ 34

PS. Just got the issue of the New Statesman with the articles by [George Bernard] Shaw and [Ernst] Toller in connection with Wells's commentary. Shaw at times ridicules Wells quite skillfully but then calls You an opportunist and nationalist. I believe that the first part of Shaw's article can still be published here. Tomorrow you will get the translation of that article.