Recently, a number of its members has resigned from the district
committee of the Democratic Associations of the Rhine Province,
and simultaneously the Workers' Association here has announced its
withdrawal from the Union of Rhenish Democratic Associations.
This step is due to the conviction that, in view of the heterogeneous
elements in the Associations in question, there is little to be expected
from them that would be advantageous for the interests of the
working class or the great mass of the people.

The more urgent, therefore, is it firmly to unite the homogeneous
elements, and to bring about vigorous cooperation of all the
Workers' Associations.

As the first measure for this purpose, the Workers' Association
here considers it necessary to set up a provisional committee of all
the Workers' Associations of the Rhine Province and Westphalia,
and it appoints the undersigned as members of this committee with
the task of undertaking the necessary steps to achieve the
above-mentioned aim.

The provisional committee herewith invites all Workers' Associa-
tions and all other associations which, although hitherto not bearing
this name, nevertheless resolutely support the principles of social
democracy, to send delegates to a provincial congress to be held on the
first Sunday of next month (May 6).

The subjects on the agenda will be:

1. Organisation of the Rhenish-Westphalian Workers' Associations;

2. Election of delegates to the General Congress of All German
Workers' Associations to be held in the month of June in
Leipzig;

3. Discussion and formulation of the proposals to be sent with the
delegates to the Congress in Leipzig.

Delegates elected to the preliminary Congress to be held here are
requested to report their arrival, furnished with their mandates, not
later than 10 a.m. on May 6 here at Simon's hotel Kranz in the
Altenmarkt.

Cologne, April 24, 1849

K. Marx (absent), W. Wolff, K. Schapper,
F. Anneke, C. J. Esser, Otto

N. B. It is requested that communications by letter should be
addressed to Karl Schapper, President of the Workers' Association,
Unter Hutmacher No. 17.