Paris. June 4, 1912.

To the New York Group of Russian Social Democrats.

Dear comrades!

The liquidatorial Central Bureau of the foreign groups sends me a squabbling paper from the secretary of the New York group Melnichansky for printing.

It is clear that I have no relations with the liquidationist Central Byuro of the Western Border Guard Groups. We will not print squabbling papers.

To the group of comrades I consider it necessary to point out the facts. Melnichansky himself admits that the money was appropriated to the Central Committee at the beginning of 1911. Then the money was sent to Axelrod and returned. Only then was it sent to me.

It is already evident from here that it is an outright untruth that I "kept this money with me for more than a year(!!!)". Melnichansky compromises the group by spreading untruths that are refuted by his witnesses.

Having received the money for the Central Committee, I was obliged to hand it over to the Central Committee.The old Central Committee did not exist. I handed over to the new one1*, there is no other Central Committee even now (VI. 12).

Is it reasonable for your secretary to raise ridiculous accusations that the money assigned to the Central Committee has been transferred to the only Central Committee?

It is the first time I have heard that money was sent to Axelrod before (and of course it took a long time to return it). But this fact only confirms my right and my obligation to transfer the money to the only Central Committee.

The "ignorance" of which the secretary complains is sad. But it must not be forgotten that all the Paris editions can reach New York in ten or fifteen days, or even less. It must not be forgotten that the difference between the Axelrod movement and the one I am defending has been known since the beginning of 1910; that since half of 1910 the actual split between these two movements has been known.

Finally, the "holders" are not owed any money other than the money specifically provided for in Decision I. 10, no money was to be paid to the "holders".

The "holders" have been known about since January 1910, and the group sent money to me for the Central Committee and not for the "holders" at all.

It is clear that the secretary is raising an empty quarrel. The group could have contacted the Central [Committee] if it had intended to clarify the matter.

With [social-democratic] greetings.

N. Lenin (V. Ulyanov).

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 27031 - photocopy from the autograph2*.

1* Elected at the Prague Conference of the RSDLP in January 1912. - Note by V.I.Lenin

2* The original is in the Hoover Institution (USA), in the collection of B. I. Nikolaevsky. I. Nikolaevsky

1V.I.Lenin replies to the following letter from G.N.Melnichansky, Secretary of the New York group of the RSDLP: "For the information of the members of the Russian Socialial-Democratic Workers' Party.

There is a note in the money report No. 8 of the Rabochaya Gazeta, which says: "From the New York group of the RSD through Mr. Rubinov for the Central Committee - 505 francs [francs] (the money was handed over as intended)."

In view of the fact that this note may cause misunderstandings about the origin of this money and about the attitude of the New York group of the RSD to the so-called Central Committee elected at the last conference, which called itself "All-Russian", we find it necessary to publish the following].

Being far away from the place of work of the party, i.e. from the places where factional squabbling was always developing, the Ny-York group could not keep track of what was going on in the party all the time, could not keep track of all the clashes, ruptures, etc., and could not keep an eye on what was going on in the party. Information about what was going on was sometimes months late. Therefore, the Ny-York group did not find it possible at all times to interfere in factional squabbles, but considered it its duty to render all material assistance to the RSDLP as a whole through its central institutions.

At the beginning of 1911 the group was still under the impression of the plenary session of the London Central Committee. It seemed that all factions had really united for joint work - the rumors of a new split, of groupings, of the fact that the London Central Committee had ceased to actually exist had not yet reached the group - and so, under the impression that there was an all-party center, chosen at the London Congress, the group at the beginning of 1911 allocated $100 (505 francs) to this Central Committee.

The money was sent by the group's cashier, Vol. Rubinov to the address of Mr. Axelrod, but for some reason [it] did not reach the addressee and was sent back. Then t. Rubinov sent them again to Ulyanov's address, believing that the latter would fulfill a party assignment. Ulyanov was to transfer this money to the London Central Committee, and since the takovoi was not functioning, it is clear that the money was to be transferred to the holders to the all-Party fund. Ulyanov kept this money for more than a year with him and when he was elected at the tac-called conference [to] the Central Committee, transferred it to that Central Committee. By publishing that the assignment had been fulfilled.

Having found this out, we leave it to the Party members to judge "on what basis Ulyanov kept the all-Party money with himself and did not hand it over for its intended purpose."

This act of Ulyanov will be discussed at the next meeting of the Ny-York group.

With social-demokratic greetings, G. Melnichansky (Maxim), secretary of the Nyu-York group of Russian social-demokrats.

May 17, 1912. New York."

(RCCHIDNI, f. 276, op. 2, d. 239, l. 3-7).