V. I.

Lenin

61

To:   DAVID WIJNKOOP

1914

Cracow, January 12, 1914

Dear Comrade Wijnkoop, Thank you most cordially for your kind letter. I hope you have read in
the German Social-Democratic papers ( Vorwärts and Leipziger Volkszeitung ) the articles of our opponents (for example,
J. K. of the Rosa Luxemburg group, and Z. L. , who
represents no group in Russia, in Leipziger Volkszeitung ). The German Social-Democratic press is boycotting us,
particularly Vorwärts , and only Leipziger Volkszeitung
has printed one article from us (signed by the editorial board of
Sotsial-Demokrat , Central Organ of the Russian Social-Democratic
Labour
Party [1]

).

In Bremer Bürger-Zeitung [2] Radek writes about Russian affairs. Yet Radek
also represents no group whatever in Russia! It is ridiculous to
print articles by emigrants who represent nothing, and not accept articles
from the representatives of organisations which exist in Russia!

And the attitude of Kautsky—can anything be more idiotic? In relation
to all other countries he studies the history of the movement, criticises
documents, tries to understand the true sense of the differences,
the political significance of splits. In relation to Russia, history does
not exist for him. Today he repeats what he has heard from Rosa Luxemburg,
yesterday he repeated what he had heard from Trotsky, Ryazanov and other
writers who only represent their own “pious wishes”, tomorrow he will begin to repeat what other
Russian students or emigrants are kind enough to tell him, and so on. While
in Neue Zeit (!!) only commonplaces, declamations, no facts, no
understanding of the essence of the questions on which we differ!! Pure
childishness!!

We are being lectured on unity with the liquidators of our Party—an
absurdity. It is we who are bringing unity into being, by rallying the
workers of Russia against the liquidators of our Party. I attach a
document which we circulated to members of the International Socialist
Bureau. You will find there facts and figures which prove
that we are the ones who represent the unity of the Party (and the vast
majority of the workers) in Russia against , groups of liquidators
who are without workers.

Unfortunately even Pannekoek in Bremer Bürger-Zeitung refuses to understand that you have to print the articles of the two wings
of Social-Democracy in Russia, and not the articles of Radek who represents
only his own personal ignorance and fantasy, and who does not wish
to provide precise facts .

Once again I thank you, dear Comrade Wijnkoop, you personally and the
Executive Committee of the Social-Democratic Party, for your kind letter,
and please pass on my greetings to Comrade Gorter.

I hope you will forgive my bad French.

Yours,

Vl. Ulyanov ( N. Lenin )

Wl. Uljanow. 51. Ulica Lubomirskiego, Krakau (Cracovie).