V. I.

Lenin

The letter from an out-of-the-way place, calling upon all to return to Russia
from abroad ( Proletary , No. 19) has evoked a reply from Comrade
“Revolutionary”, writing t& Proletary from
Berne. Comrade “Revolutionary” insists on, importance of theory in
the movement, the need to study, and the like. We of course fully agree with him
in the matter, and that was just the sense of our reservation regarding the
above-mentioned letter. [1]

Comrade “Revolutionary” advises the Party to organise at some place, for example in Geneva, something in
the nature of a university, for the youth to be able to engage in serious
studies. There have been many such plans, but their implementation meets with
too many practical difficulties.

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Notes:
[1]
No. 19 of Proletary , October 3 (September 20), 1905 published “An Open Letter to Comrades Abroad” from a group of
Social-Democrats working in Kazan, Simbirsk and Nizhni-Novgorod gubernias. The
letter described the difficult conditions of under ground work in Russia and the
shortage of Party forces, and called upon the youth to remain in Russia to work
there. The letter was accompanied by the following editorial note: “We are
publishing this statement by ’comrades from out-of-the-way places’ so as to
enable them to express in our columns their frame of mind and their opinion of
Party work. While we do not share the author’s too extreme opinion regarding the
uselessness of ’studies’ abroad we do however think it necessary more often to
remind our comrades abroad and the Party as a whole of the out-of-the-way
places in Russia.” It has not been established who used the pseudonym
of “Revolutionary”.