AT LE PERREUX 

London, 6 February 1891 

My dear Lafargue, 

This from a letter I have had from Fischer on the subject of the al- 
leged intervention of the Germans in favour of 3 May: 

‘You are perfectly right. None of us here would be so insane as to seek to impose 
anything at all on the parties of other countries. The parliamentary faction’s resolution 
was addressed exclusively to the German working man. It arose simply out of recogni- 
tion of the fact that in the present situation, and given the severe political and econom- 
ic tension now prevailing, any celebration on Friday | May would be a sheer impos- 
sibility. Unfortunately there are only too many who, despite themselves, will abstain 
from work on 1 May. Our capitalists are furious over the turn of political events in Ger- 
many.* They would like nothing better than to find occasion to mount a general at- 
tack on us. The crisis that has recently gripped the iron, textile and building industries 
has presented them with that opportunity, thereby placing them in a position to de- 
liver a general onslaught which at this moment we should be unable to fend off. Con- 
sider the case of the Hamburg cigar workers. That will show you who holds the trump 
cards today.** They represent our corps @’élile, not a BLACKLEG amongst them, and 
yet the battle was lost weeks ago. Ultimately it is the small manufacturers who will 
have to foot part of the bill. But it is costing our working men a hundred thousand 
marks from their own funds— not counting the contributions from other towns which 
are sending money to support the strike. Accordingly | May is out of the question, fi- 

nancially speaking.’ 

That, I think, ought to satisfy you. Nor should you be surprised if, 
as I have already pointed out to you, the English follow the Germans’ 
example. Tussy believes it highly probable. You Frenchmen have 
a passion for uniformity, which is all very well, provided the cost is 
not too high. But to preserve uniformity by ruining our prospects. in 

* Fall of Bismarck, state socialism, fear that the prohibitive entry duties '>° introduced 
in 1878 may be abolished, etc., etc. 
** LOCKOUT of workpeople as a means of compelling them to resign from their union. 

Germany and putting paid to any real success in England would be 
pedantic indeed. 
Yours ever, 

F.E.