V. I.

Lenin

The Kind of “Unity” Larin Proclaimed at the Swedish Congress [1]

In the speech cited by us (No. 36), Larin could have been referring only
to the well-known “July Third” bloc, [2] i.e., the alliance concluded
in Brussels, on 3.7.1914, between the Organising Committee, Trotsky, Rosa
Luxemburg, Alexinsky, Plekhanov, the Bundists, the Caucasians, the
Lithuanians, the Left wing, [3] the Polish opposition and so on. Why did Larin
confine himself to hints? That is strange, to say the least. We are of the
opinion that, if the O.C. lives on, and likewise the alliance, it is bad
to make a secret of this truth.

The Central Committee of our Party and the Central Committee of the
Lettish Social-Democrats did not join the alliance. Our Central Committee
advanced 14 precise conditions of unity, these being rejected by
the Organising Committee and the “bloc”, who limited themselves to a diplomatic and evasive resolution which, in /act, did not
promise or signify any decisive turn in the previous liquidationist
policy.

Here is the gist of our fourteen points: (1) The December 1908 and
January 1910 resolutions on liquidationism should be unambiguously
confirmed, viz., in a way that will recognise as incompatible with
Social-Democratic Party membership statements against the underground,
against publicity for the illegal press, for an “open” party (or
a struggle for one), against revolutionary meetings, etc. (in the way
Nasha Zarya [4] and Nasha Rabochaya Gazeta [5] have come out); (2) the same, with reference to statements against the slogan of a
republic, etc.; (3) the same, with reference to statements against a bloc
with non. -S.D Left-wing party; (4) in each locality there must be a
united S.D. organisation, one that is not divided according to nationality;
(5) “cultural-national autonomy” to be rejected; (6) the workers
are called upon to show “unity from below”; only one who belongs
to an illegal organisation can be a member of the party; in the legal press,
only figures concerning workers’ group contributions since 1913 are to
be used in order to ascertain a majority; (7) rival newspapers cannot be
permitted in one and the same city; Nasha Rabochaya Gazeta should
close down, and a discussion journal to be founded; (8) the resolutions of
the 1903 and the 1907 congresses regarding the bourgeois character of the
S.R.s are to be confirmed; agreements between part of the S. D. Party and
the S.R.s are impermissible; (9) groups abroad are to be subordinated to the
Central Committee in Russia; (10) regarding work in the trade unions, the
resolution of the London Central Committee (Jan. 1908) should be confirmed;
illegal nuclei are necessary; (11) statements against the Insurance
Council [6] and other insurance institutions are indefeasible; . as a competing publication, Strakhovaniye Rabochikh [7] should close down; (12) the Caucasian S.D.s
should give special confirmation for points 5 and 4;(13) the Chkheidze group [8]
should withdraw “cultural-national autonomy” and recognise the
conditions enumerated above; (14) on matters pertaining to
“slander” (Malinovsky, X, etc.), the Organising Committee and
their friends should either retract their accusations and slander, or else
send a representative to the forthcoming congress of our Party, so as to
vindicate all their accusations.

It will readily be seen that, without these conditions and with numerous
verbal “promises” to renounce liquidationism (as took place at
the 1910 Plenary Meeting), nothing will change; “unity” would be
a fiction and a recognition of “equality” for the liquidators.

The mighty crisis of socialism as a result of the world war has evoked a
supreme effort in all groups of S.D.s and a striving to muster the forces
of all who can draw together on the fundamental issues of the attitude
towards the war. The “July Third” bloc, of which Larin was so
boastful while reluctant to call it by its own name), at once revealed its
fictitiousness.

What is necessary is unflagging caution against fictitious
“unity”, as long as there is an irreconcilable cleavage in
practice.