Pages: 114-114

---

ON THE EVE OF BLOODY SUNDAY
FROM

Both of these letters raise a question that is being hotly debated in the foreign press:
Who is Father
Gapon, a provocateur or
[Fanatic] Christian socialist?
20766
ON THE EVE OF BLOODY SUNDAY.
We left off in our account of the course of the movement at how, on Gapon's initiative, a procession of working masses to the Winter Palace was scheduled for Sunday, January 9th, to submit a "petition" to the Tsar for the convocation of a constituent assembly. The strike in St. Petersburg had already become general by Saturday, January 8th. Even official reports put the number of strikers at 100 — 150 thousand people. Russia had not yet seen such a gigantic explosion of class struggle. The entire industrial, commercial, and social life of the gigantic one-and-a-half-million center was paralyzed. The proletariat showed in deed that it, and only it, sustains modern civilization, its labor creates wealth and luxury, and the whole of our "culture" rests upon it. The city found itself without newspapers, without lighting, and without water. And this general strike was of a clearly expressed political character, being a direct prologue to revolutionary events.
Here is how one eyewitness describes, in a letter to us, the eve of the historic day:
"St. Petersburg January 8th \ "Since January 7th, the strike in St. Petersburg has become general. Not only all the large factories and plants have stopped, but also many workshops. Today, January 8th, not a single newspaper came out, except for the "Govt. Herald" and the "News of the St. Petersburg City [Administration]". The leadership of the movement is still in the hands of the Zubatovites. We are observing a scene unprecedented in St. Petersburg, and our hearts are gripped by fear of the unknown - will the Social-Democratic organization be able to take the movement into its own hands, even after some time? The situation is extremely serious. All these days, there have been daily mass gatherings of workers in all areas of the city in the premises of the "Union of Russian Workers". The streets in front of them are filled with thousands of workers all day long. From time to time, speeches are made by Social-Democrats and leaflets are distributed. They are generally received sympathetically, although the Zubatovites are trying to organize opposition. When

Further on, Lenin made a note: "Letter D" 4 rejected". Following this is the letter printed below, on which Lenin made the notes: "Letter Λ" 4", "k" and "l". Ed.