Engels on Communism and Socialism

[Der Kampf]

Apart from the very well-known passage of his introduction to the 1888 English edition of the manifesto, where he explains his and Marx's choice of the term "Communism", which was preferred to "Socialism" when writing the manifesto in 1848, he touches upon this subject once again in one of his letters to Kautsky (as far as i can recall), but this time expressing his approval of the use of the word "Socialism" by the parties of the Second International on the grounds of its popularity among the workers.
Recently I have tried, but only in vein, to find this letter on MIA. Has anyone else ever come across this letter before? or was it written to someone else and not to Kautsky ?

[Noa Rodman]

No I haven't, but iirc Marx did say something similar; how the term 'Social-democracy' is insufficient, but it would do, since in case they disgrace themselves, there is always still the term 'communism'. Also, during the revisionist debate Kautsky pondered that if the revisionist took over it would be necessary to abandon the term Social-democracy in favour of communism (Lenin later quoted this).

[Der Kampf]

Can you tell me in which text did Kautsky mention that? And in which of his works did Lenin quote it ?

[Noa Rodman]

Lenin's mention of it: https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1914/dec/05.htm


Indeed, if such “Social-Democrats” wish to be in the majority and to form the official “International”(= an alliance for international justification of national chauvinism), then is it not better to give up the name of “Social-Democrats”, which has been besmirched and degraded by them, and return to the old Marxist name of Communists? Kautsky once threatened to do that when the opportunist Bernsteinians seemed to be close to conquering the German party officially. What was an idle threat from his lips will perhaps become action to others.

I can't remember if I read the passage in Kautsky itself. Anyway I don't directly recollect the exact reference.