17/30 August 1917. Dear friends! With great difficulty, after long weeks of forced interruption, it seems possible to restore correspondence. Of course, for this to fully succeed, you must strenuously petition and work on organizing it from your side.
The vile campaign of slander, raised by the bourgeoisie regarding the alleged espionage
or involvement in it of Ganetsky, Kollontai, and many others, is, of course, a vile cover for the campaign against internationalists by our brave
"republi-

cans," wishing to "advantageously distinguish" themselves from tsarism by slander.
(1) I read somewhere in the Russian newspapers that Ganetsky and Radek are issuing a refutation 501. I don't know if this is true. But it is necessary. Firstly, Radek needs to write
to Paris and obtain the protocols of the last Parisian (of various factions of the RSDLP) trial
against him. Lunacharsky, castigating the vile slanderers, already told about this trial long ago in
"New Life" 502. But that's not enough. You need to try to get the protocols or at least the full sentence of the court, and if it is impossible to publish it, type it on a typewriter in several
copies and send it here. If it is impossible to get the protocols or the sentence, it would be desirable to get at least a written account of the trial from someone from Paris who participated in the trial, and publish at least a small brochure in Russian (there is a
Russian printing house in Christiania), in order to documentally refute the vile slanders. Even a little bit of the brochure will manage to be transported, excerpts from it should appear in
"Arbeiterpolitik", in "Politiken", in "Demain", etc.
(2) It is equally necessary that Ganetsky documentally refutes the slanderers by
publishing as soon as possible a financial report of his trade and his "affairs" with Sumenson (what kind of
person is this? I heard about it for the first time!) and with Kozlovsky (it is desirable that the report be checked and
certified by the signature of a Swedish notary or several Swedish socialists, members of parliament). It is also necessary to print the text of telegrams (in Russian
newspapers, in "Russian Will", in "Without Extra Words" 503, etc. it already was, but, must be, not
completely) and analyze, explain each one.
Against this vile Dreyfus Affair, against this slander, it is necessary to fight by
releasing a brochure and as soon as possible, sparing no effort, trouble, money, in order to stigmatize the slanderers and, if possible, help those arrested on this vile slanderous
accusation.
(3) What are the financial affairs of the foreign bureau appointed by our Central
Committee? After the July persecutions, it is clear that our Central Committee cannot help

(I think so, at least). Write whether it was possible to collect anything through the Swedish leftists and whether the bureau will exist? What about the bulletin? How many issues have been published and in what
languages? Did Guilbeaux have all the issues? Do you have a complete set of "Demain"? Was the
bulletin delivered to America, North and South? Write about all this in more detail.
(4) By the way. I don't remember, someone said, it seems, that in Stockholm, after Grimm and
independently of him, Moor appeared. That the scoundrel Grimm, as a "centrist"-Kautskian,
turned out to be capable of a vile rapprochement with "his" minister does not surprise me: whoever
does not break with social-chauvinists decisively always risks getting into this vile
position. But what kind of person is Moor? Is it fully and absolutely proven that he is an honest person? that he never had and does not have any direct or indirect collusion with German social-imperialists? If it is true that Moor is in Stockholm and if
you are familiar with him, then I would very and very much ask, convincingly ask, insistently
ask you to take all measures for the strictest and most documentary verification of this.
There is no, that is, there should be no, place for even a shadow of suspicion, complaints, rumors, etc.
I very much regret that the "Zimmerwald Commission" did not condemn Grimm more strictly! 504 It should have been stricter!
(5) I was and remain unconditionally against participation in the Stockholm Conference 505.
I must note that I am writing this entire letter personally from myself, because I have not had the opportunity to ask the Central Committee or even to contact it. Therefore, when answering me especially in detail,
attach to your letter an official, detailed, businesslike, documentary, your
(as the entire bureau) report to the Central Committee, I will forward it.
So, I am absolutely against participating in the Stockholm Conference. Kamenev's speech 506 (have you seen "New Life"? you should subscribe to it) I consider the height of stupidity, if not meanness, and have already written about this to the Central Committee and for publication. Fortunately, Kamenev
spoke only for himself and was disavowed by another Bolshevik.
I consider participation in the Stockholm Conference and in any other together with ministers (and scoundrels)

Chernov, Tsereteli, Skobelev and their parties a direct betrayal and in the press I will speak out
with this opinion against anyone. If in the "Zimmerwald Commission" (judging by
the report of the social-chauvinist Rozanov) it was possible to almost reject or semi-reject
Stockholm, then this is very good. But "almost" and "semi" are no good, and all this "semi"-social-chauvinist Zimmerwald Commission, dependent on the Italians and Ledebourians, wanting "unity" with social-chauvinists, is a very harmful institution.
(6) We are making the greatest, unforgivable mistake by delaying or postponing
the convening of a conference of the left to establish the Third International. Precisely now, precisely
when Zimmerwald is so shamefully hesitant or forced to be inactive, precisely now, while there is still a legal (almost legal) internationalist
party in Russia with more than 200,000 (240,000) members* (which does not exist anywhere in the world during the war),
precisely now we are obliged to convene a conference of the left, and we will be directly criminals if we are late in doing so (the Bolshevik party in Russia is being driven further and further underground every day).
Money will be found for the conference. There is an opportunity to release several issues of its
bulletin. There is a center for it in Stockholm. There is a French "support" ("Demain") and
English ("Socialist Labor Party" of America; its delegate, Reinstein**,
was recently in St. Petersburg, will probably be in Stockholm) - however, in addition to S. L. P.
("Socialist Labor Party" of America) there is also English support, and Tom
Mann in England, and the minorities there in the British Soc. Party***, and the Scottish socialists, and "The International"**** in America.
It would be directly criminal to postpone the convening of a conference of the left now.

* 17 daily newspapers; 1,415,000 copies total circulation per week; 320,000 per day.
** I have no idea what kind of goose this is. According to newspapers, he greeted the "unification congress" of the Mensheviks!! So, the goose is suspicious.
*** - British Socialist Party. Ed.
**** - "The International". Ed.

It would be immensely stupid to "wait" for a "large" number of participants and to be "embarrassed" by the fact that there are "few" now. For now such a conference will be an ideological force, regardless of the number of participants, and later it may be silenced.
Bolsheviks, P. S. D., Dutch, "Arbeiterpolitik", "Demain" - this is already a sufficient
core. To it, probably, a part of the Danes will be added if we act energetically (Trier and
others, who left the party of the scoundrel Stauning), part of the Swedish young (against whom we
sin by not leading them, for they must be led), part of the Bulgarians, the leftists from Austria
("Franz"), part of Loriot's friends in France, part of the leftists in Switzerland ("International Youth") and in Italy, then the elements of the Anglo-American
movement I have already named.
The resolutions of the Bolshevik conference (24-29. IV. 1917) and their congress (VII. 1917:
see the resolutions in "New Life")*, the draft of the new program of the same party - this is already
a sufficient ideological basis (with the addition of "Vorbote", "Tribune", "Arbeiterpolitik" and
etc.) to appear before the whole world with clear answers to the questions of imperialism and with an accusation against social-chauvinists and Kautskyans.
It is necessary to immediately convene such a conference, create a temporary bureau of it, print its appeal and draft resolutions in 3 languages for transmission to the parties.
I repeat once again: I am deeply convinced that, without doing this now, we will terribly complicate this work for ourselves in the future and terribly facilitate the "amnesty" for the traitors of socialism.
(7) The ministerialism of the Russian Mensheviks-"Zimmerwaldists" must be especially used to set an ultimatum to Zimmerwald in general: either a break with Branting, Huysmans and C°, or we leave immediately. By the way: is "Arbeiterpolitik"
campaigning against Tsetkin and against Braunschweiger "Volksfreund" for the fact that these scoundrels, for intriguing purposes, whitewashed

* The resolutions of the Seventh (April) Conference and the VI Congress of the RSDLP(b) are meant (see "CPSU
in resolutions and decisions of congresses, conferences and plenums of the Central Committee", 7th ed., part I, 1954, pp. 335-353 and 372-389). Ed.

and supported the Russian Mensheviks, Chkheidze and C°, who turned out to be ministerial
scum like Sembat, Renaudel, Thomas and C°?
Doesn't Mehring still understand all the vileness of Chkheidze, Tsereteli, Skobelev and C°?
(8) It is necessary to establish the transfer of your letters here - I hope to receive one as detailed as mine immediately (otherwise I do not agree to correspondence) - and literature: from mid-June at least complete sets of "Arbeiterpolitik", "Demain", "Kampf"
(Duisburg), "Weekly People" (S. L. P.), "Leipziger Volkszeitung", "Neue Zeit", "The Call"
and others Spartacus, publications of Loriot and his friends, "Avanti!" etc. etc. For a start, at least send clippings.
(9) You must send here, if possible, weekly, firstly, articles for
provincial and St. Petersburg party press (reviews of the movement of the left abroad,
facts, facts, facts), - secondly, leaflets (in 4-8-16 pages) for publishing in small brochures. Summaries of facts about the collapse of the International, about the shame of social-
chauvinists, about the shame of Kautskyans, about the growth of the movement of the left: at least 4 brochures on
each of these topics of 16-32 pages. Facts and facts. There is hope to publish this.
Answer immediately, can you take it? When sending our way (legal sending is out of the question now), I think it's all the same in what language to write.
(10) I hope you have a complete set of "Pravda". You subscribe to "New Life". If
you do not have "Worker and Soldier" (closed), "Proletarian Cause" (Kronstadt) and "Social Democrat" (Moscow), then write immediately, and I will send them as soon as the
new path, first tested by this letter, is established.
P. S. August 18. I just received issues Nos. 1, 2, 4 of the new newspaper "Proletarian", the Central Organ -
of course, it will soon be closed. I will try to send it to you. I am sending issues Nos. 1-7.
August 20. The letters still have not been sent, and, perhaps, it will not be possible so soon.
Therefore, I have something like a diary instead of a letter! Nothing

G. ROVIO. SEPTEMBER 27, 1917
can be done. You must have a lot of patience and perseverance if you want to
communicate with internationalists in the "freest" imperialist republic.
Today I learned from "Izvestia" that "Izvestia of the Stockholm
Information Bureau of the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies" is published in Stockholm weekly.
Try to send complete sets of all Stockholm publications. We don't see anything.
August 25 (September 7). It seems that it will be possible to send the letter tomorrow. Make every effort to establish delivery from you. Be sure to answer immediately, at least briefly, to the address (within your country) that the comrade giving
you this letter (or his friend) will tell you. He will also give you a cipher; for the experiment, I am writing a few words in this cipher and ask you to answer them with the same cipher*.
P. S. Write another brochure, 16-32 pages, about the secret diplomatic treaties of Russia: briefly, accurately, facts, facts. Such-and-such a treaty on such-and-such a date, month,
year, the content is such-and-such. List of treaties. Summary. Shorter and more factual. Answer,
whether you take it, when you send it.
I'm finishing: for God's sake, immediately a conference of the left, a bureau of the left, a bulletin of the bureau, and
appoint a second conference in 2 (11/2) months.
Greetings! Lenin
Sent from Helsingfors

to Stockholm
First published in 1930

in Lenin Miscellany XIII

Printed from manuscript