Comrades! Having received the message about your collective decision of the majority of the Central Committee against the congress and about the desirability of ending the "squabble," and having discussed this message among the three of us (Kurts, Zver, and Lenin), we unanimously adopted the following decision:

1) Kurts and Lenin temporarily resign from their positions as members of the Council (remaining members of the Central Committee) until the true nature of our disagreements with the majority of the Central Committee is clarified. (We stated in the Council that we see no other honest way out of the squabble except through a congress, and we voted for the congress.) We emphasize that we are leaving temporarily and conditionally, by no means refusing altogether, and very much wishing to clarify our disagreements and misunderstandings in a comradely manner.

2) In view of (a) the necessity for Central Committee members on the Council to be abroad; (b) the need for personal consultation with Russian members of the Central Committee; (c) the need to have a Central Committee member abroad after Kurts, Zver, and Lenin leave (Kurts and Zver are going to Russia, and Lenin is taking a formal and complete leave of absence for at least two months); (d) the need to arrange matters so that the affairs here, which generate "squabbles," are handled by those Central Committee members who disagree with us, since we are unable to fight the squabble in any other way than we do,

* - Farewell. Ed.

TO THE EDITORS OF "ISKRA". MARCH 18, 1904

- in view of all this, we most urgently request the Central Committee to send at least one of the Russian members here immediately and without fail.

We request that you inform us immediately upon receipt of this letter and of your response.

P.S. To avoid gossip and premature misinterpretations, we informed the Council of our resignation in the following form: (full copy).
"To the Chairman of the Party Council

Dear Comrade! We hereby notify you that, due to the departure of one of us and the leave taken by another, we are, unfortunately, compelled to temporarily resign from our positions as Central Committee members on the Council. This has been reported to the Central Committee.

With socialist greetings, Kurts
Lenin"