5.
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V. I. LENIN TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE).
July 28, 1905

Dear friends!

It is necessary to resolve as quickly as possible the following 2 important questions: 1) About Plekhanov. We instructed
a special agent Lyadov *) **) to tell you how the matter stands.
I will briefly repeat. Plekhanov acted incredibly impudently, writing to the International Socialist Bureau that he
had already been recognized (!) by both Factions, and cursing, slandering in every possible way
our 3rd Congress. I have a copy of his letter, sent to me
from the Bureau. It will be sent to you 1). I achieved with great difficulty direct relations with the International Socialist
Bureau and refuted Plekhanov 2). Plekhanov then refused
representation. You know that I was not at all an unconditional
opponent of Plekhanov's appointment, but now it would be
simply unthinkable. This would disavow me so much that my
position would become impossible. This would completely discredit
us in the eyes of the International Socialist Bureau. Do not
forget that almost all foreign social democrats are on the side of the "icons" and consider us nothing, treat us with contempt. You will spoil everything
if you take an imprudent step. Therefore, I urgently request
Werner [A. A. Bogdanov] and Schmidt [P. P. Rumyantsev] ***) as
quickly as possible, even provisionally, to confirm my steps. That is one. And secondly: to offer Plekhanov a scientific organ on behalf of the
Central Committee of the RSDLP, but on the condition that Plekhanov recognize the 3rd
Congress and the binding nature of its decisions for himself. If he rejects it, *) N. K. Krupskaya wrote above the letter: "For Don Juan." Ed.
**) N. K. Krupskaya crossed out "Lyadov" and wrote: "For the Mermaid." Ed.
***) N. K. Krupskaya crossed out "Werner and Schmidt" and wrote above:
"Reinnert, Yavein [L. B. Krasin] and Schmidt." Ed.

then the blame will fall on him, and we will have proved our conciliatory attitude. If
he accepts, then we will take a further step towards him. So:
I most persuasively advise to cancel the decision on representation,
and to edit the scientific organ with this condition. 2) Regarding the offer of mediation on the part of the International
Socialist Bureau. The full text will be sent to you, although Lyadov
has already taken it for you. The International Socialist Bureau
proposes a conference for reconciliation from us and the Mensheviks
with the chairmanship of members of the International Socialist
Bureau. Foreign social democrats (Bebel and others) are actively
agitating for the International Socialist Bureau to put pressure on us. Such letters even came from the British
(the Social Democratic Federation, I have a copy of the letter—in the usual conciliatory spirit, that it is a crime
to quarrel at such a time, etc.). I wrote to the International
Socialist Bureau that I myself am not competent to resolve this issue,
the decision of the entire Central Committee is needed, to which I will write
immediately. Then I inquired whether they have in mind only mediation,
or arbitration, binding on both sides— it is important for me to write about this to the Central Committee. There is no answer from them yet.
My opinion is this. We must agree to the conference.
Appoint the time around September 1. Send 1–2 members of the Central Committee from Russia to it without fail (do not forget that our
congress is scheduled for September 1 and that it is extremely necessary in all respects). Accept mediation with gratitude. Reject binding arbitration
on the basis of the decision of the 3rd Congress, which bound us unconditionally and which states that the conditions
for a complete merger with the minority must be presented
for approval by the 4th Congress. We are instructed by the 3rd Congress to prepare and develop these conditions, but not to finally approve them. Fulfilling the instruction of the 3rd Congress, we accept mediation, we will try to work out the most detailed modus of agreement
now and of gradual merger. If successful, we will implement the agreement immediately, and propose a merger plan to the 4th Congress,
which must then be convened at the same time and in the same
place as the mandatory congress of all minority organizations.
It is extremely important to keep in mind that the Mensheviks do not have a center,
the decisions of which are binding on them. Iskra is not subordinate to the Organizational Committee. We must not play the role of fools,
negotiating with people who are not entitled and not able to

V. I. LENIN TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
speak on behalf of the entire minority. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately
point out that the delegates from the minority at the meeting
with the International Socialist Bureau must be both from
the Organizational Committee and from Iskra, and besides, they must
promise to survey all minority organizations in a short time,
giving us their list. However, if from a Russian point of view
it is more important for you that Russian Mensheviks prevail, then you
will discuss whether special Iskra delegates are needed. You can see it better.
But do not forget that without Iskra's consent, all agreements will be
fiction. Another question: Is it necessary to communicate to the International
Socialist Bureau the secret resolution of the 3rd Congress 3)?
Are we entitled to do this? I hesitate. Of course, communicating to our
comrade socialists in Europe is not "publication" and they can be
obliged not to publish. But is it expedient? Decide for yourselves.
It is easy to give a satisfactory explanation even without communicating
about the resolution of the 3rd Congress binding on us.

I will print the open letter of the Organizational Committee
in No. 11 of Proletary (No. 10 is already coming out), I did not print it earlier
because I was waiting for clarifications from you, which came only
yesterday. We ask you very much to write on each document whether to
print it and immediately *) *).
So, answer as soon as possible on behalf of
Werner, [A. A. Bogdanov] and Schmidt [P. P. Rumyantsev]**) at least: I) Will you write the answer to the International Socialist
Bureau yourselves or entrust it to me? 2) Do you approve of my answer
or not? 3) If not, I would very much ask you to hurry with an answer so that
we can fully clarify: any misunderstanding in such a matter or
obscurity or lack of awareness is fraught with great dangers.

P. S. Please forward my letters to Dubois [D. S. Postolovsky], I do not have his address ***).

1) Plekhanov's letter of June 16, 1905 was published in "Krasnaya Letopis" No. 1 (12) 1925, p. 119. Its content was briefly stated by Vladimir Ilyich in "Proletary" No. 20, dated October 10 (September 27), 1905, as follows: "Plekhanov sent a letter to the International Bureau
*) The end of the paragraph, starting with the words: "I did not print it earlier", is added in N. K. Krupskaya's hand. Ed.
**) N. K. Krupskaya crossed out "Werner and Schmidt" and wrote above:
"Reinnert, Yavein and Schmidt." Ed.
***) The entire postscript is written in N. K. Krupskaya's hand. Ed.

on June 16, in which he (a) erroneously claimed that he was already authorized
to represent both Factions, and (b) recounted the history
of the split since the Second Congress and recounted it with a number of deviations from
the truth, completely in the Menshevik spirit, calling the convocation of the Third Congress
by the Central Committee "an act completely arbitrary," declaring the conciliators in our party a "swamp," saying that at the Congress there was "something like half" of "full-fledged" organizations, that the Congress was a "combination of ultra-
centralists and the swamp," etc.".
2) Vladimir Ilyich's letter to the International Socialist Bureau of July 24,
1905, containing a refutation of Plekhanov's letter. (See Works,
vol. VIII, pp. 9-12.)
3) At the twentieth session of the Third Congress of the RSDLP on May 6 (April 23),
1905, a "not subject to publication" resolution of Kitaev
[A. M. Essen] and Osipov [Zemlyachka] was adopted: "The Third Congress of the RSDLP instructs
the Central Committee to take all measures to prepare and develop
conditions for a merger with the deviating part of the RSDLP, whereby the final approval of such conditions should be left to the new party congress."
Two more resolutions were adopted on the attitude towards the Mensheviks at the Third Congress. (See Works, vol. VIII, pp. 475-476, note 18.)
On the secret resolution in the present collection, see p. 501.
4) See notes 6 and 7 on page 482.