Dear Lev Borisovich!

I send: 1) The latest papers of the International Socialist Bureau] (Plekhanova was not in Italy on 17.XI2: if he is ill, you will "agree" with Rubanovich. Develop his point of view against Kautsky3 and then, probably, Rubanovich will either concede to you to go, or both of you will go to the [communist] meeting. In addition, there will be a meeting of the Commissia plus the International Socialist Bureau.

2) Two mandates just in case, one direct about Maletsky, the other a blank one for the delegation of the Russian Social Democratic Party4.

3) Malinovsky's letter5is only to be read at the Congress (or at the International Socialist Bureau) if there is a telegram from us: Muranov, Badaev, etc. This telegram will mean that the signatures of some people have been attached. If on Saturday or Sunday you receive such a dispatch from us, do everything possible to make the biggest possible demonstration out of the letter of the workers' deputies of the 4th State Duma.

4) Make a report about Malinovsky to your members of the delegation, without saying a word about his participation in the January Conference7 and other posts, but say that he was in Cracow, that he is an outstanding leader, an advanced worker, full of our side, etc. Our general impression from our 3-day conversations with him is excellent.

5) It was impossible to send Malinovskogo to Bazel. It did not work out with the six; it was postponed for a while (we hope not for a long time). We are waiting for the arrival of one (Malinovsky should have left yesterday) + 1 non-deputy.

6) If our letter is not late for you, be sure to arrange at the post office for telegrams to be sent to your hotel, or even better, send it on Saturday and Sunday and Monday three times a day.

7) There is news that Skobelev and Jagiello have gone to Basel.

8) Have a special tete-a-tete with "Kiyevlyanin": we offered him to join the editorial board of "Enlightenment "8 and the organizational committee (administration) of the magazine. He, the bastard, first half-promised (we need 200 rubles. We don't have the money. Karaul!) - and then he writes to Gregory: "I agree to everything except money"!!!! Talk to them (the two of them)9 and send me a final answer: do what you can.

9) The [central] organ received10. It is a pity that the Poles were not included. It is necessary to prepare No. 30 in 4 pages.

10) Talk to Plekhanov, if you manage to do so.

11) About Jagiello we issued1* the following resolution: a) strictly stigmatization of the Polish and Jewish nationalists for harassing Jagiello; b) calling for unity among [all] nationalities; c) PPS11nevnevoditis in the RSDLP, not the Social Democrats; d) the Bund12, which went against the PSD13; e) Yagello is a siding (not a member of the FRaction) with the soviets (not a member of the FRaction), not the Social Democrats14. This is for you, but not for everyone.

Your Lenin.

I wish you every success in Basel!!!

I am sure you will have a wonderful time....

On the question about the division of seats with the liquidators, demand 6, then listen to them and Plekhanov, argue, demand a break, make concessions to Plekhanov up to the status quo; this is minimum. It is better to bring it to the Minternational Socialist Bureau.

Published - "Historical Archive", 1993, 2, pp. 8-9.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 2898, fol. 1 - autograph, checked with a copy by L.B.Kamenev - F. 323, op. 2, d. 150, fol. 99-100.

1* In L.B.Kamenev's transcription: "lead".

1In the letter, Lenin instructs L.B.Kamenev on the tactics of the RSDLP delegation to the Extraordinary International Socialist Congress of the II International in Basel (Switzerland). Kamenev headed the delegation.

The congress was held on November 11-12 (24-25), 1912. It was attended by 555 delegates. It was convened to address the issue of combating the looming danger of world war. On November 12 (25) the Congress adopted a manifesto against war, the draft of which was prepared by a commission of representatives of France, Germany, England, Austria and Russia. The part of the manifesto concerning the situation in Russia was published in the newspaper "Social-Democrat" No. 30 on January 12 (25), 1913.

November 24 (17), 1912. V.I.Lenin sent G.V.Plekhanov a letter in which he expressed his opinion about K.Kautsky's article "War and the International" and asked him to contact L.B.Kamenev about working in the Basel Congress Commission on the draft manifesto against war (see: Lenin V.I. Complete Collected Works, vol. 48, pp. 109-110), and informed Kamenev that the commission was scheduled for November 10 (23) at 10 a.m. (see: RCCHIDNI, f. 2, op. 1, d. 2897).

3V.I. Lenin reminded L.B. Kamenev of K. Kautsky's article "War and the International" published in Die Neue Zeit, No. 6, November 8, 1912 (n. s.), which Lenin recommended that Kamenev read before going to Basel, stressing that in the article "Kautsky argues purely opportunistically" (see Lenin's letter of October 28 (November 10), 1912. - Lenin V.I. Complete Collected Works, vol. 48, с. 107).

4The mandate in the name of A.M.Maletsky has not survived. Together with Lenin's letter, a mandate in the name of L.B.Kamenev was preserved (see the journal "Historical Archive". 1993, No. 2, p. 9), as well as a blank form with Lenin's signature: "On behalf of the Central Committee of the RSDLP N.Lenin" (RCCHIDNI, f. 2, on. 1, d. 2898, fol. 4). Lenin suggested that Kamenev use Maletsky as an assistant, "so that he would keep silent when Vasily asked him to speak only on Polish questions" (Lenin V.I. Complete Works, vol. 48, p. 111).

5The letter of R.V. Malinovsky, later joined by M.K. Muranov, was published in Pravda newspaper No. 172, November 18 (December 1), 1912 (see also: "Historical Archive", 1993, No. 2, p. 10). L.B.Kamenev kept Malinovsky's note about the mandate: "Hello, dear comrade Kamenev. I ask you to transmit the enclosed letter below and publish it in the most convenient way at the Basel Congress. With comradely greetings Malinovsky. P.S. The letter can be published if there is at least one more signature. Roman" (RCCHIDNI, f. 323, op. 2, d. 150, l. 100).

6IV State Duma began its work on November 15 (28), 1912.

7January Conference - VI (Prague) All-Russian Conference of the RSDLP. See doc. 45, note 4.

8See doc. 29, note 2.

9V.I. Lenin obviously means A.A. Troyanovsky and E.F. Rozmirovich, who were living in Kiev at the time.

10V.I.Lenin writes about the November 5 (18), 1912, issue No. 28-29 of the newspaper "Social-Democrat".

11PPS (Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) was founded in 1892.

12Bund - General Jewish Workers' Union in Lithuania, Poland and Russia. It was organized in 1897. In 1898 the Bund joined the RSDLP "as an autonomous organization, independent only in matters relating specifically to the Jewish proletariat". In 1903 at the II Congress of the RSDLP it left the party, and in 1906 at the IV (Unification) Congress of the party it rejoined.

13PSD (PSD - Polish Social Democracy) - Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania. It emerged in 1893, first as the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland, and from August 1900. - Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania. In December 1918 it merged with the Leftist PPS and they formed the Communist Labor Party of Poland.

14It seems that Lenin is setting forth the main provisions of the draft resolution which the Bolshevik deputies were to put forward when the Social-Democratic faction of the Fourth State Duma discussed the question of admitting deputy E. I. Jagiello to its membership; however, the Menshevik majority of the faction succeeded in getting its draft resolution adopted (published simultaneously in the newspapers Pravda and Luch on December 1 (14), 1912).