My dear & dearest friend!

Best greetings for the commening revolution in Russia. We are here without news. Extremely eager to know what is happening - but no telegrams!!! Now the great town would be better than a village in Galicia. This evening at six o'clock the question of war between Austria & Serbia will be answered1* ...The idiot Brussels conference2* can be forgotten in such time. I understand that the liquidators] + Plekhanoff & other canailles are preparing a common manifesto. The traitors Poles3*, opposition, will not sign it!!! Already the decomposition of the new "third-july block"!!!4*).

Tomorrow I expect here the comrade5* You have seen in Brussels from the letton party.

This summer is extremely unhappy: at first the "affair" of Malinowski6*, then the conference] at Brussels and now totally unknown if the great meeting of our party will be possible after the events in SP-b7*.

Here extremely unpleasant "stories" with the stupid wife of the army8*. She is here with army9* & two her new friends: 1) young man with grey hair, whom You have seenat firstin Russia after having left Krakow in summer 191210* - and the former editor of our scientific review11*. Both are friends of wife of the army. Both hate Malinowsky & repeat: the wife... is "convinced" that heisan agent-provokateur!!!

We in our quality as a committee of investigation, have lost many many hours to hear the "evidence" of the wife of the army. Stupid talks, histery, - nothing serious. She accuses us to be partial (in relation to Malinowsky)!!!! Confrontation of hers with Malinowsky12*. She is blamed - she has mixed personal affairs & intimities with the politics. Malinowsky reveals her intime discourses. Now came "the three" (army & both friends) & will have almost a duel with Malinowsky & so on & so on... Oh, quelle misere. These hysterical stupid creatures, I am so angry, so angry!!! Losing of time for such stupid stories!!!

Yours very truly, I hope You are not angry against me, my dear friend?

Your W.I.

In our capital "etat de siege "13*. Both papers must be closed14*. Arrests innumerable. The Brother must be safe, because I've got a dispatch from Finland with allusion that the Brother is there & safe. But this is only a supposition. Nothing is certain.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 3341 - autograph.

Translation

My dear, dearest friend!

Best greetings on the approaching revolution in Russia. We don't have any news here. I would very much like to know what is going on, but there are no telegrams!!! It would be better in a big city nowadays than in a village in Galicia. Tonight at six o'clock the question of war between Austria and Serbia1* will be decided ...The idiotic Brussels Conference2* can be forgotten at this time. (I know that the liquidators + Plekhanov and other canals are preparing a general manifesto. The Polish traitors3*, the opposition, will not want to sign it!!!! The beginning of decomposition is already in the new "Third-July bloc" too!!4*).

Tomorrow I am waiting here for the comrade5* whom you saw in Brussels, from the Latvian party.

This summer has been extremely unfortunate: first the Malinovsky "affair "6*, then the meeting in Brussels. And now, after the events in St. Petersburg7*, it is absolutely unknown whether a general congress of our party will be possible.

There are extremely unpleasant "stories" here with the silly "regimental lady "8*. She is here with her military man9* and two of her new friends: 1) a young man with gray hair, whom you first saw in Russia after leaving Krakow in the summer of 191210*, and also the former editor of our scientific journal11*. Both of them are friends of the "regimental lady". Both hate Malinowski and repeat: "the wife" is "convinced" that he is an agent provocateur!!!

We, as a committee of inquiry6*, lost an awful lot of time listening to the "testimony" of the "regimental lady". Silly talk, hysteria,-nothing serious. She accuses us of partiality (towards Malinovsky)!!! Her confrontation with Malinovsky12*. She is shamed - she mixed personal, intimate affairs with politics. Malinovsky told about her intimate conversations. Now the whole "trinity" (her military husband and both friends) comes and wants almost a duel with Malinovsky, etc. etc. etc. Oh, what squalor! These stupid hysterical creatures, I am so angry, so angry! Wasting time on worthless stupid stories!!!

Quite devoted to you, I hope you are not very angry with me, my dear friend?

Your V.I.

There's a "state of siege" in our capital 13*. Both newspapers must be closed14*. Numerous arrests. Brother must be safe and sound, for I received a telegram from Finland that Brother is there and unharmed. But this is only a guess. Nothing definite.

1The letter bears the note of I.F. Armand: "July 25, 1914," on the basis of which the letter is dated

1*Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 15 (28), 1914.

2*V.I.Lenin mentions the Brussels "unification" meeting (see doc. 72, note 1).

3*J.S.Ganetsky, J.G.Doletsky and A.M.Maletsky are meant.

4*The "Third-July Bloc" is an ironic comparison with the "Third-July coup d'état" of 1907 - on July 3, 1914 (A.D.), the Brussels Unification Meeting of the ISB opened. In the course of the meeting, an anti-Bolshevik bloc of representatives of the Mensheviks of various shades, the Bund, the Peredovites, L.D. Trotsky's group, the Polish Social Democracy, and the Caucasian regional organization formed in the struggle against the principles of party unity proposed by the Central Committee of the RSDLP.

5*V.I.Lenin was expecting the arrival of Y.A.Berzin.

6*Cf. doc. 76

7*Referring to the shooting by the police of a meeting of Putilov workers and the political strike that followed at the call of the St. Petersburg Committee of the RSDLP, in which up to 200,000 people participated by July 11 (24). On July 10 (23) the Central Committee of the RSDLP issued a leaflet in which, noting the unity and solidarity of the workers, called on them to end the strike and prepare for the coming revolution. On July 14 (27) the strike ended.

8*It means E.F. Rozmirovich.

9*Obviously, Ant. A. Troyanovsky.

10*It means N.V.Krylenko.

11*It means M.A.Saveliev.

12*The confrontation between R.V.Malinovsky and E.F.Rozmirovich took place on July 10 and 11 (23 and 24), 1914 (see: Voprosy istorii, 1993, 11-12, pp. 50-68).

13*Martial law in St. Petersburg and its suburbs was declared on July 5 (18), 1914.

14*Referring to the newspapers Rabochy and Trudovaya Pravda. See doc. 61, note 1; doc. 62, note 1.