London, [around 10 April]* 1871 

Dear Wilhelm, 

Just two notices in great haste which you could surely arrange to 
put into the Volksstaat: 

I. In the Papiers et correspondance de la famille impériale, now 
officially published, there is a reference under the letter V (the 
recipients of money are arranged alphabetically ) which states verbo 
tenus”: 

‘Vogt—il lui est remis en aoiit 1859 40,000 francs’ *'*? 

2. Whereas the Bismarck government in Germany has made 
correspondence with me into a more or less highly penal affair 
(vide the Brunswick trial, just like the Cologne Communist trial 
of earlier years'**), in France it attempts to discredit me (and with 
me the International in Paris—that is the aim of the whole 
manoeuvre) by branding me as one of Mr Bismarck’s agents. This is 
done through the organs of the old-Bonapartist police which is 
still entwined by international bonds with Stieber’s police— 
particularly under the Thiers regime. 

In consequence I have been compelled to publish denials in The 
Times of various lies that have appeared in the Paris-Journal, the 
Gaulois, and so on, because the rubbish is reported to the English 
press by telegraph.” The latest example was provided by the Soir 
(the paper of About, the well-known Plonplonist*), which has only 
very recently been suppressed by the Commune, and from the 
Soir it circulated to all the French reactionary press throughout 
the provinces. E.g. today I received from Laura (By THE By, 
Lafargue is at this moment in Paris as a delegate from Bordeaux) 
the following extract from the paper La Province (and yesterday I 
received the same piece from a clerical newspaper in Belgium): 

‘Paris, 2 April. A piece of news just arrived from Germany is causing a great 
sensation here. Authentic proof is now to hand to show that Karl Marx, one of the 

@ In the original ‘14 March’, which is a slip of the pen. - © literally - © “Vogt—40,000 
francs were remitted to him in August 1859.’- 4 an adherent of Prince Joseph 
Napoleon known under the nickname of Plon-Plon 

most influential leaders of the International, was the private secretary of Count Bismarck in 
1857, and has never ceased to remain in contact with his former patron. @ 
Stieber really is becoming a ‘terror’! 
Salut. 

Your 
K. M.