It is evident throughout that the scoundrel is brazenly going "to war," and the Iskra people will disgrace themselves forever if they do not answer this with the most decisive and desperate war. Do not fear any threats from the scoundrel, no exposure is frightening to you—set about the matter immediately in a military fashion, as we wrote above*, and adopt the decisions proposed above as quickly as possible. Even if the scoundrel wins over a few more people (even if only half of you or fewer remain), you must still go all the way and demand the expulsion of the scoundrel unconditionally, without the slightest fear of a "split" in the Union.

Then before the workers you must also put an ultimatum: either a split in the Union and war, or a decisive condemnation of the scoundrel by the workers and his removal.

We, for our part, are writing at once to 2a 3b. We are postponing the publication in *Iskra* of the Petersburg statement for 200.

We repeat: the question now stands as one of honor for the Petersburg Iskra people... Of course, you must now do everything only at a general meeting, without fail inviting the scoundrel as well and drawing up protocols of the decisions. Send the protocols to us immediately.

in the journal

Written September 24, 1902

Sent from London to Petersburg

First published in 1924

*Proletarskaya Revolyutsiya* No. 3

Printed from the manuscript