+ 400 francs again in a month. Total 1000 francs. For anything more there is no hope at present).

On the one hand, the utmost caution is necessary. Do you have completely good papers? and so forth?

On the other hand, it would be absolutely useful for the cause precisely now if a person who is fully informed and independent were to visit 2-3 centers, establish connections, set up relations, and immediately return to Sweden to hand over all these connections to us and discuss the further situation. This would be of the utmost importance.

No. 1 of *Kommunist* will come out in 8-10 days; then in the same interval No. 2 (or Nos. 1-2 together). No. 44 of the Central Organ will come out in 1-2 days. The pamphlet on the war with all documents will come out in about two weeks. It is already in typesetting.

Events in Russia have fully confirmed our position, which the foolish social-patriots (from Aleksinsky to Chkheidze) have dubbed defeatism. The facts have shown our correctness!! Military defeats help shake tsarism and facilitate the alliance of revolutionary workers in Russia and other countries. People say: what will "you" do if "you," the revolutionaries, defeat tsarism? I answer: (1) our victory will kindle the movement of the "Left" in Germany a hundred times over; (2) if "we" were to defeat tsarism completely, we would propose peace to all the belligerents on democratic terms, and upon refusal would conduct a revolutionary war.

It is clear that the advanced layer of Pravda workers, the mainstay of our party, has survived despite terrible devastation in its ranks. It would be extremely important for leading groups (in the utmost secrecy) to consolidate in 2-3 centers, establish contact with us, restore the Central Committee Bureau (there is already one in Petersburg, it seems) and the very Central Committee in Russia; establish firm contact with us (if necessary, 1-2 people should be brought to Sweden for this); we would send leaflets and pamphlets, etc. The most important thing is firm, permanent relations.

Chkheidze and Co. are obviously wavering: they are true friends of "Our Cause," Aleksinsky is satisfied with them (I hope you have seen Plekhanov's "War" + Aleksinsky + Co.? What a disgrace!!) and they themselves "play" at leftism with the help of Trotsky!! I think the conscious Pravda workers will not be taken in!

Write as you decide! Greetings. Your Lenin

P.S. Will A. Kollontai agree to help us arrange an English edition of our pamphlet in America?*

To Stockholm

Sent from Sörenberg (Switzerland)

First published in 1924 in Lenin Miscellany II

Printed from the manuscript