256 High Holborn, London W.C.
4 August 1871

Dear Citizen Coenen,

I duly received your two letters of 1 May and the 1st instant, in which I saw that the Antwerp cigar-makers were not, and are not even now, affiliated to the International. I must express my great astonishment that we were not informed of this from the very beginning of the strike, for everything we have done for them here — and it has been no trifle, seeing that we have procured them relief amounting to more than 15,000 francs — we did in the belief that we were working for Internationals; and now we learn that not only were they not our men, but that after all we have done for them, they have still not affiliated! This is really too much, and as far as I am concerned, for such ingrates I am determined to do nothing more at all. Do these gentlemen call this solidarity: to take the money of English and other workers, which the International procures for them, and then, after pocketing it, not to join our association as the first proof that they are ready to do the same for others?

That is not how we understand the matter here, and the International is not to work for such people. Those who ask to share in the benefits of our association must also be ready to bear their share of the burdens, and the least proof they could give of this is to become affiliated. People who clamour for the money of the Internationals and yet refuse to belong to our ranks, such people deserve to be exploited more thoroughly by the bourgeois, for they refuse the only possible means of salvation against bourgeois exploitation: the association and organisation of the workers of all Europe. Since the International has existed, no such case has yet occurred. It was reserved for the Antwerp cigar-makers to have the honour of begging for the International’s assistance and, after obtaining it, to say to us: thank you gentlemen, you may withdraw, we have no further need of you, there is the door!

I hope I am judging them too harshly and that they will have been affiliated before now, but if they do not do it at once you must agree that their conduct is ignoble to the last degree, and as long as I have not received the news of their affiliation, I shall oppose any further centime being sent to them. We can employ our money far more usefully for men who are with us.

You ask me whether the London cigar-makers are affiliated? Why, yes certainly, and have been since the foundation of the International. Their president, Citizen Cohn, represents them on the General Council. I have spoken to him about the letter you would like him to write to the Antwerp men regarding affiliation, but what effect can a letter have where 15,000 francs have had none?

The *Werker* still reaches us very irregularly and only one copy. As there are very few workers here who understand Flemish, it will be very difficult to find you subscribers; however, I have asked the members of the Council to make propaganda for your paper.

No congress will be possible this year; the prosecutions by the governments in France, Spain, Germany, Austria and Hungary absolutely prevent it. In its place there will be a private Conference to strengthen our organisation, but on this subject the General Council will only be able to correspond with the various central Councils. We doubt, besides, that the Dutch government would be liberal enough to permit full freedom to our congress where, after the Paris events, very delicate questions would come up for discussion.

At the last sitting of the General Council there was a redistribution of the secretaryships; I received Spain and Italy and handed over Belgium to Citizen Alfred Herman of Liège, recommended for this post by the last Belgian Congress. It is therefore he who will henceforth correspond with you.

Salute and fraternity
Fred. Engels