October 18

**Date:** October 18, 1905
**Source:** Lenin Collected Works, Volume 26
**Pages:** 433-434

LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN RUSSIA.
18283
[October 18, 1905]

Dear Comrades, The International Socialist Bureau has sent me a letter from Vaillant, in which is set forth a proposal from the Socialist Workers' Party of France. The Bureau asks me to submit this proposal for discussion by the central body of my party and to provide a reply at the earliest opportunity. Vaillant's letter reads as follows: "The question raised in my letter, which You circulated by circular memorandum, ought to have introduced a specific proposal.—Today I am sending You this proposal. I could not do so earlier, since in order to give it sufficient weight it was necessary that it emanate from the whole party, from the Socialist Party (French section of the International Workers' Party), which has adopted it unanimously through its delegates at a meeting of the National Council on September 24 (September 11 O.S.) on Sunday in Paris.—Here is this proposal for adoption by decision after discussion by the International Socialist Bureau: 'As soon as events, manifest or hidden, may cause fear of a conflict between governments and make war possible, the socialist parties of the interested countries must immediately, upon invitation from the ISB, enter into direct relations with one another, with the aim of determining and concentrating the means of influence of the combined forces of workers and socialists in order to prevent and obstruct war.

"At the same time, the parties of other countries will be invited by the ISB to an assembly, which will take place as quickly as possible, in order to clarify what action by the whole International and organized workers would be most suitable for us to prevent and obstruct war.'—Together with Jaurès I ask You to send immediately a new circular letter to all parties. You understand, as will socialists of all countries, if they agree with us, how important it is, in view of possible events, not to postpone discussion of this question until a distant meeting of the Bureau, but directly to send Your agreement to the Bureau; thus, if the proposal is adopted, as we hope, it can be immediately put into effect in case of conflict."

On my part I will add that in my opinion this proposal is somewhat naive, since the only thing that can have influence in case of a conflict between governments is the dictatorship of the proletariat.

¹ The letter was written or recopied in an unknown hand. At the end of the letter there is Lenin's correction. Lenin was during this period the representative of the RSDLP in the International Socialist Bureau. Communications concerning the ISB could officially go to Russia only through Lenin. The letter was written by Lenin's instruction and was undoubtedly sent to Russia under his signature.