V. I.

Lenin

68

To:   G. D. LEITEISEN

October 10, 1903

Dear Leiteisen, I received your letter and, in accordance with your re quest, I am replying at
once. Whether there will be a congress and when, I do not know. I have heard
that a majority of the three members of the League’s board of management
here pronounced against a congress and that it was decided to invite the opinion
of the two absent members:
you and Vecheslov; thus a settlement of the question has been postponed.

As far as I am concerned, I am personally against a congress. You think that
the League ought to express itself and that a split in it is inevitable in any
case; that two active militant sections would be better than a united inactive
League. The point is, however, that a split in the League is not only
inevitable, but is already an almost accomplished fact ; two active
militant sections have already been formed and until a split in the
Party occurs these militant sections will inevitably remain in
the united League. On the other hand, the Party Congress bas completely upset
the whole organisational basis of the League; its old Rules, which are well
known to you, will, of course, in effect cease to exist after the Party
Congress. The League must be renovated and it will, of course, be rebuilt on new
lines by the Central Committee of the Party, which is charged with organising
the Party committees and, in general, all Party institutions.

Consequently, one may say, it is left for the congress to come together in order to part company . To part company in two senses: in the sense of the mutual recrimination between us and the
Martovites, and in the sense of the liquidation of the old League. Is it worth
while coming together for this purpose? You will not cure
the “split” (or, rather, the sulky withdrawal) in this way, but
only still further embitter the two sides. What is the use of that? What is the
use of a pageant of speeches when it is already almost certain that about
thirty-five of the total forty members of the League have already taken up their positions ?

Is the idea—to stage a “ dress rehearsal ”? i.e., to see approximately how we shall fight if it comes to a split in the Party? I cannot
deny this significance of a congress, but such a game is not
worth the candle.

The alignment of the remaining five (or about five) members of the League can
be ascertained in a much easier way.

The League’s work abroad will in any case proceed on new lines worked out
by the Party’s Central Committee. A League Congress now will
generate more heat than light, i.e., it will contribute nothing to the work
abroad.

I was very glad to learn that you are coming here and that we shall meet. Let
me know in good time because I am still intending to go away on holiday for
three or four days. I am swamped with work.

All the very best.

Yours,

Lenin