The following in chronological order is a statement signed by Lenin
and Zinoviev of the Foreign Bureau of the Central Committee
of the R.S.-D.R.P., handed to the representatives of the Mensheviks - Martov and the S.-R. -
Natanson - Bobrov in connection with the plan for émigrés' passage to Russia.
The discussion of the question of how to return to Russia began, judging
by the protocol, which is given in full below under No. 46,
on March 19, at a meeting in which Martov from the Men-
sheviks, Natanson - Bobrov from the S.-R., Zinoviev from the Bolsheviks, and Kossov-
sky from the Bund, took part. This meeting instructed the Swiss S.-D. Grimm to conduct
the necessary negotiations with the Swiss government.
After the Swiss government, represented by a member of the Swiss
Ministry, Hoffmann, referring to Switzerland's neutrality,
refused to assume the role of official mediator in negotiating
the organization of the passage of Swiss émigrés to Russia, Grimm himself expressed his desire to assume the role of such
a mediator. This proposal by Grimm was met with different assessments from different émigré
groups. The following statement of the Foreign Bureau of the Central
Committee of the Bolsheviks indicates Lenin's attitude toward this proposal. A manuscript or *kopie* of the statement itself is not available to us, but its text is reproduced in the protocol, which is given
below under No. 46, from which we borrow it.

10.
STATEMENT OF THE FOREIGN BUREAU OF THE C. C.
R. S.-D. R. P.

1)
Negotiations were conducted by Comrade Grimm *) with a repre-
sentative of the government of a neutral country - with Minister Hoffmann-
man, who did not consider it possible for Switzerland to officially
intervene in this matter, because the English government, which
is interested in preventing the return of internationalists to
Russia, will undoubtedly consider this circumstance a violation
of neutrality on the part of Switzerland.

2)
Grimm's proposals are entirely acceptable, for they guarantee
freedom of passage and are completely independent of any
political direction whatsoever and of any attitude toward the question of the defense of the fatherland, of the continuation
of the war, of the conclusion of peace, etc.

3)
This proposal is based on the exchange of political émigrés for those interned: in Russia, and the émigrés have
not the slightest reason to resist the agitation raised
for this exchange.

STATEMENT OF THE FOREIGN BUREAU OF THE C. C. R. S .-D. R. P.

4) Com. Grimm brought this proposal to the representatives of all
groups of political émigrés, and even stated that, given the current circumstances, this proposal
is the only way out and is entirely acceptable.

5)
On the other hand, everything possible has been done to con-
vince the representatives of all groups of the necessity to accept this
proposal, for further delay is absolutely inadmissible.

6)
Unfortunately, representatives of some groups have expressed
themselves in favor of a postponement.
This decision is highly reprehensible and threatens to cause the greatest harm to the Russian revolutionary movement.

Based on the above, the Foreign Bureau of the Central
Committee resolves to inform all members of our party that the proposal for immediate departure has been accepted by us
and that all those who wish to depart with us must register. A copy of this resolution will be forwarded
to the representatives of all groups.
II. Lenin.
Zurich, March 31, 1917
G. Zinoviev.

*)
Robert Grimm, leader of the Swiss S.-D. party, participant in the Zimmer-
wald and Kienthal conferences, editor of the newspaper «Berner Tag
wacht», was a member of the Swiss parliament («national councillor»).
Regarding Vladimir Ilyich's attitude to the political position of R. Grimm
in the last months before the Russian revolution, see above Vladimir
Ilyich's letters to A. M. Kollontai
41 and 42 and, especially, «Open Letter to Charles Naine» (Collected Works, vol. XIII).