V. I.

Lenin

220

To:   A. I. RYKOV

10/III. 11

Dear Vlasov, We are sending you (and Grigory) a copy of a letter written today by
Semashko (a member of the Central Committee Bureau Abroad) to Grigory.

From this letter you will see of course that the crisis is coming to a
head. The Bundists have shown their hand [1] (whether it was Makar who made them do so or the arrests in
Petersburg [2] that are to blame, God only knows).

It is perfectly clear that the Bundists have understood full well the
simple truth that now everything depends on the votes: whether the
Poles+the Bundists will have one vote more or not.

The Bundists are fighting desperately to have that extra vote in the
Central Committee.

So much is clear. The Bundists are stopping at nothing to gain
that extra vote in the Central Committee by hook or by crook.

Of the Golos Mensheviks there already are two that are certain, the Londoners Kostrov and Pyotr , who was recently
released (we have been informed to that effect).

The enemies, then, have fully united. The only way to save the day is
to get Makar, Lindov, Lyubich (and if possible Vadim)
out of the country at all costs, and without delay.

Somebody must be sent over for this purpose. For God’s sake can’t you
see that by delaying the dispatch of a person you are risking every day the arrest of Makar, the failure of everything . Send
Mikhail Mironych (and if he refuses, Chasovnikov from Liége, or
Pyatnitsa’s wife, she has the proper papers and already went once) to both
Lyubich and Makar at once, without fail.

If you don’t do this, you are risking throwing away the last
chance of convening a plenary meeting and restoring the C.C. in general.

If Yudin is at loggerheads with Makar, it is possible that Makar too
has seen through the manoeuvres and trickery of the Bundists; but to see is not enough, one must know how to fight.

If Lindov cannot travel abroad, let Makar come alone (after obtaining authorisation to act for the Bureau); with Makar here we
shall find a way out of the situation together with him.

Reply at once.

Yours, Lenin

---
Notes:
[1]
A reference to the protests registered by the Bundists Yudin (member of
the Bureau of the C.C., R.S.D.L.P., in Russia) and Lieber (Ber) (member of
the C.C. Bureau Abroad) against the convocation of a C.C. plenary meeting
abroad.

[2]
On February 9 (22), 1911, Lydia Knipovich, Lyubov Radchenko,
V. D. Bonch-Bruyevich and others were arrested in St. Petersburg.