12.
19533
TO THE ST. PETERSBURG COMMITTEE OF THE R.S.D.L.P. FROM V.I. LENIN
[March 13, 1905]
From the
English proletarian organization — "Labour Representation Committee
(secretary Macdonald) — for the benefit of widows and orphans of workers
who fell on January 9 (22) in St. Petersburg, 60 pounds sterling
(1506 Francs) *) were received through the Vpered editorial office.
The Vpered editorial office sent this money to the St. Petersburg Committee of the Russian
Social-Democratic Labour Party with a request to be sure to inform all, without exception,
workers' organizations of our party (district committees, organizing meetings, factory groups, etc.), so that they
themselves could help to properly distribute the money.
It would be desirable for the workers themselves to inform their
English comrades about receiving it.
Having sent 60 pounds sterling for the needs of the victims,
the "Labour Representation Committee" then also sent another
20 pounds sterling for the needs of the uprising at the disposal
of "Vpered".
Now, on March 13 (February 20), the Vpered editorial office received
from the same Committee another 90 pounds sterling (about 900 rubles),
of which 50 pounds sterling (about 500 rubles) for aid to orphans and widows of workers who fell in the struggle for freedom.
We will receive this money in the next few days and send it to Piter.
Just in case, in view of the fact that some workers have friends in London, we are reporting the exact address of this Committee:
Labour Representation Committee, Victoria Mansions, 28, Victoria
Street. London. S. W. Secretary — Ramsay Macdonald.
Be sure to answer this letter *).
*) About 600 rubles.

V. I. LENIN ---- TO THE ST. PETERSBURG COMMITTEE OF THE R. S.-D. R. P.
1) Comrade N. A. Alekseev, at our request, reported the following: In connection
with the strikes in Russia at the end of 1904, Russian organizations in London
(Social Democrats, the Bund) formed a Russian Strikers Helf Committee
(Committee to Aid Russian Strikers), which sent appeals for help to English
trade unions. It was also decided to contact the Labour Representation Committee, whose members
at the time were Henderson and Shackleton, and the secretary was Macdonald.
The late K. M. Takhtarev and
N. A. Alekseev, who were both members of the Russian Social-Democratic
organization in London, which had not yet split. Fearing that
all the money received from the British would fall into the hands of only the Mensheviks, N. A. Alekseev wrote to Lenin, asking him to inform Macdonald about the existence of two factions in the Russian Social-Democracy. A corresponding
letter was written to Macdonald by Lenin or on his behalf, and
was read by Macdonald to Takhtarev and Alekseev, who came to see him.
The latter confirmed the existence of two factions in the Russian Social-
Democracy, and stated that the British should recognize this Fact, without
evaluating which faction is right, and send their donations to Russia through both. "This is exactly what we are going
to do". "That is exactly what we intend to do," Macdonald said.
In the archive of the Lenin Institute there is a letter from N. A. Alekseev to Lenin,
dated February 6 (new style) 1905, from which we quote the lines relating to this issue:
"Dear V. I.! I have just been to the secretary of the Labour Representation Committee, Macdonald. We went together with Tar [Takhtarev] on behalf
of our Russian Strikers Ilelf Committee, organized by our group
together with the Bund group. It is very good that I turned out to be a delegate in the L. R. C.!
Macdonald, having received a letter from Geneva, asked about the split, and T. tried to talk him out of it, but I stated that, indeed,
there is currently no unity in the party, but there are two sections, and the Central Committee
represents only one of them. Result: Macdonald said that they
cannot enter into consideration of disagreements, and they can only recognize the Fact of the existence of two sections and divide the money between them.
There will be another meeting, with the participation of the chairman and treasurer of the L. R. C., to which
I will also be invited. This meeting will take place after the opening of parliament.
L. R. C. sent out circulars to all trade unions, cooperative societies
and so on. Macdonald expects that a total of about 500 pounds sterling will be received, unemployment will prevent many trade unions from responding. A smaller part
of the money will go to help widows and orphans of those killed, the larger part to support the active movement. Macdonald especially insists that
the money should go to the active revolutionary movement, and not to ordinary propaganda. Of course, in addition to the R. S.-D. L. P. there are other candidates for receiving money, namely the Bund, the SRs and the P. P. S. Everything, I suppose, will receive
equally..."