V. I.

Lenin

To:   DAVID WIJNKOOP

Dear Comrade, The weathercock ( Drehscheibe ) Kautsky and Co. want now,
with the help of Left phrases and a purely verbal departure
from “the policy of
August 4”, [1] to “stifle” the revolutionary ferment which is beginning. We are now for peace,
these gentlemen will be saying together with Renaudel and
Co., striving thereby to satisfy the revolutionary masses.

There is talk of a conference of the Lefts—and it is more than likely that dirty little souls of the Bernstein-Kautsky
type will make use of such a conference in order, once again,
to deceive the masses with the help of “passive radicalism”.

It is quite possible that sensible statesmen of both belligerent groups now have nothing against the incipient
revolutionary ferment being stifled by an idiotic “peace
programme”.

I don’t know whether the German Lefts are already strong
enough to upset the manoeuvre of these passive (and hypocritical) “radicals”. But you and we are independent parties .
We must do something: work out a programme of revolution,
expose the idiotic and hypocritical watchword of peace,
denounce and refute it, talk with utter frankness to the
workers—in order to tell the truth (without the base diplomacy of the leaders of the Second International). And the
truth is this: either one supports the revolutionary ferment
which is beginning, and assists it (for this one needs the
watchword of revolution, of civil war, of illegal organisation, etc.), or one stifles it (for this one needs the
watchword of peace, the “condemnation” of “annexations”, maybe
disarmament, etc., etc.).

History will show that it is we who were right, i.e., the
revolutionaries in general, not necessarily A or B .

I should like to know whether you (your Party) are able
to send your representative (knowing one of the three main
languages). And do you think it possible that both our parties officially (in writing or verbally, better: and verbally ) should propose a joint declaration (or resolution)?

If there are only money difficultes , let us know exactly
how much is needed. Perhaps we will be able to help.

Best greetings.

Yours,
N. Lenin

My address:

Wl. Uljanow , Hotel Marienthal in Sörenberg (Kanton Luzern). Schweiz.