ENGELS TO PHILIPPE COENEN !% 

[London,] 4 August 1871 

Dear Citizen Coenen, 

I duly received your two letters of 1 May and of the Ist inst., 
from which I learn that the cigar-workers of Antwerp have not 
been, and even now are still not, affiliated to the International. I 
cannot but be greatly surprised at your failure to tell us as much 
the moment the strike began,’”’ since everything we have done for 
them here—no mere trifle, considering the assistance we procured 
for them amounted to 15,000 francs and more—was done in the 
belief that we were working for Internationals*; and now we hear 
that not only were they not of our ilk, but that, after all we have 
done for them, they are still not affiliated! It is really too much 
and, as for myself, I am determined to do nothing more 
whatsoever for such ingrates. Is that what these gentry call 
solidarity—taking the money of English working men and others, 
procured for them by the International, and, having pocketed it, 
failing to join our association, thus providing immediate proof that 
they are prepared to do as much for others? That is not how we 
understand the matter here, and it is not for such people that the 
International ought to work. Those who wish to draw on the 
assistance of our Association must also be prepared to carry their 
share of the burden, and the least proof they could give of their 
willingness to do so is to become affiliated. People who scream 
their heads off for the Internationals’ money and yet refuse to 
belong to us deserve to be exploited good and proper by the 
bourgeoisie, for they reject the only possible way of escaping 
bourgeois exploitation: the association and organisation of all the 
workers of Europe. No such case has occurred since the 
International came into existence; it is to the Antwerp cigar- 
workers that the honour has been reserved of begging for 
assistance from the International and, having obtained that 
assistance, of telling us: Thank you, gentlemen, you may 
withdraw, we have no further use for you, there is the door! 

I hope that I have judged them too harshly and that they have 

a See this volume, p. 125. 

affiliated themselves by now, but if they do not do so at once, you 
must, I think, agree that their conduct is disgraceful beyond 
measure, and as long as I have heard no news of their affiliation I 
shall object to the despatch of so much as another centime to 
them, We can put our money to far better use by giving it to 
people who are on our side. 

You ask me if the London cigar-workers are affiliated? But of 
course they are, and have been since the founding of the 
International. Their president, Citizen Cohn, represents them on 
the General Council. I spoke to him about the letter you wish him 
to write to the Antwerp people regarding affiliation, but what 
effect would a letter have where 15,000 francs has had none? 

The Werker continues to arrive very irregularly, and only one 
copy at that. Since there are very few working men here who 
understand Flemish, it would be very difficult to find subscribers; 
however, I have asked the members of the Council to cry up the 
merits of your sheet. 

It will not be possible to hold a Congress this year, it being 
wholly precluded by government persecution in France, Spain, 
Germany, Austria and Hungary. Instead, a private conference will 
be held to consolidate our organisation,” but this is a subject upon 
which the General Council can correspond only with the various 
central councils. Besides we doubt whether the Dutch government 
would be liberal enough to give full liberty to our Congress at 
which, after the events in Paris, some very delicate questions 
would certainly be raised. 

At the last meeting of the General Council* the secretariats were 
reallocated; I was given Spain and Italy, and handed over Belgium 
to Citizen Alfred Herman of Liége, who had been recommended 
for the position by the last Belgian Congress. So it will be he who 
will henceforward correspond with you. 

Fraternal greetings, 

Frederick Engels