Published:
First published in 1930.
Sent from Paris to Geneva.
Printed from the original.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
Progress Publishers,
1974,
Moscow,
Volume 34,
pages 268-270.
Translated: Clemens Dutt
Transcription\Markup:
D. Moros
Public Domain:
Lenin Internet Archive
(2005).
You may freely copy, distribute,
display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
Archive” as your source.
• README
December 3, 1904
Today I sent a business letter to Bonch. I forgot to add an important thing—that 3,000 copies (of Leiteisen’s dictionary) be printed; this is essential for price calculation. Tell Bonch about this at once.
I am sending you the statement of the Union Committee and of the Caucasian representative of the= C.C.,[3]received today by Raisa.[1] In my opinion, it is absolutely necessary to re-issue this immediately in leaflet form in our publishing house. Do this at once without fail; the Nikolayev and other resolutions can be added to the leaflet, but it should be kept quite small, 2-4 (maximum) pages (without any headings, merely with a mention below of the publishers).
I have just received your letter. I don’t understand what the matter is with the “plan” of Lyadov and Rakhmetov, but there is something wrong here. I shall try to come as quickly as possible and hasten Destroyer’s arrival.
I warmed the attached sheets but without success. Perhaps you’ll try some other reagents.
A free evening has occurred unexpectedly. I am sending you on the other side a letter which I advise you to forward immediately to all three from me personally,[2] without a powwow. It will give them a good shake up; afterwards we could find out whether the news was exaggerated or not. The fact remains that disunity is beginning, and a warning must be issued and the culprits denounced most forcefully at the very start. I strongly advise you to send this letter off at once to all three from me personally. Tomorrow I shall talk to Destroyer and, I’m sure, he’ll be for me, so will Vasily Vasilyevich and Schwarz, but it will be best if the text is mine personally. I wanted to write to Martyn Nikolayevich and give him a piece of my mind, but I don’t think it’s any good; I shall come and talk it over, as he is harmless here for the time being. As to the damage that has started in Russia, my letter will go some way in paralysing it. A pity you did not make Martyn Nikolayevich write to me at once in Paris about everything—a great pity, it was so important.
I have re-read the letter to Rakhmetov; a hard word here and there could, perhaps, have been omitted, but I earnestly advise you to send the letter off at once from me personally in this sharply worded form.
I called on Leiteisen. He read me Plekhanov’s letter to him. Plekhanov, of course, swears at Lenin for all he is worth. He writes that “Trotsky’s pamphlet is trashy, like himself”. He asks Leiteisen “not to side with the Minority, but with him” (Plekhanov). He complains of “the tragedy of his life, when, after twenty years, there isn’t a comrade who believes him”. He says that he asks for “comradely confidence but not subordination to authority”, and that he is “seriously thinking of resigning” ... for the time being this is entre nous.
Deutsch wrote to Leiteisen the other day, asking for financial assistance—he says they have no money. Zasulich wrote the same thing (earlier) to Yefron, swearing at Galyorka and considering Sergei Petrovich to be Galyorka(!).
I hope to leave on Monday, the day after tomorrow, to read on Tuesday and Wednesday in Zurich, to be in Berne on Thursday, and home on Friday. It may take a few days longer= though.[4]
Write to me in Zurich through Argunin (in two envelopes, but see that the inner one is fairly strong, and be cautious). Have they written from Lausanne, have they asked me to go there? Have they given an address?
Yours,
N.Lenin
Be sure to write immediately to all our commfttees to send us a formal order to reprint openly for everyone the editorial board’s letter on the Zemstvo. Do this, just to be on the safe side. No excuses, please. Get hold of the letter itself (or republish it) arid circulate it in envelopes to the Majority committees.
[1] Unidentified—Ed.
[2] See pp. 271–73 of this volume—Ed.
[3] Meaning the statement of the Caucasian Union Committee and the Caucasian representative of the C.C. protesting against the decisions of the Party Council published in a supplement to Nos. 73 and 74 of Iskra.
[4] Lenin was on a lecture tour (on the subject of the situation within the Party) in Paris (up to December 5), Zurich (December 6–7) and Berne (December 8).
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