| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 1 April 1890 |
ENGELS TO JOHANN HEINRICH WILHELM DIETZ
IN STUTTGART
London, 1 April 1890
To Mr J. H. W. Dietz, Stuttgart.
I have just noticed that you have taken the liberty of making various alterations to my article on Russian policy[1] without the consent of myself or of the editors,[2] alterations which are wholly uncalled for, whether from the viewpoint of the penal code or of the Anti-Socialist Law.
I have behaved as decently as possible towards you over this matter. I asked Kautsky to get you to score any passages that struck you as objectionable when you read the proofs. I in turn altered many of the scored passages and sent a request that if you felt further alterations to be advisable, you should write to us, stating your reasons. Since no more objections were forthcoming, I could only assume that the article would appear unaltered.
Instead of that you have altered passages which you had not even scored.
As it is not my habit to put up with this sort of thing from publish- ers, / hereby forbid you to print the remainder of the article unless it agrees word for word with the proofs corrected by myself and I reserve the right to take any other steps I think fit.
I need hardly say that in future I shall be careful not to write again for a periodical in which one is exposed to things of this nature.
Yours very faithfully,
F. Engels