Draf 
[Draft] [London,] 27 July 1871 

Dear Citizen, 

Last Tuesday* the General Council resolved that there would 
not be a Congress this year (in view of extraordinary cir- 
cumstances) but that, as in 1865, there should be a private 
Conference in London to which different sections would be 
invited to send their delegates. The convocation of this Confer- 
ence must not be published in the press. Its meetings will not be public 
ones. The Conference will be required to concern itself, not with 
theoretical questions, but exclusively with questions of organisation. 
It will also deal with disputes between the different sections of a 
particular country. The Conference will open in London on 17 
September (third Sunday in September). Jung will advise Becker 
and Perret of these resolutions. 

a 25 July 

At last Tuesday’s meeting two questions were put to the General 
Council by Guillaume: 1) He sent copies of two letters, one, 
dated 28 July 1869, from Eccarius, whereby the Alliance was 
recognised as a section of the International, the other, dated 
25 August 1869, from Jung. This was a receipt for the Alliance’s 
contribution (year 1868-69). Now Guillaume is asking if these 
letters were authentic. 

We replied saying that there could be no doubt on that score. 

2nd question: ‘Has the General Council passed a resolution 
excluding the Alliance from the International?’ We replied, saying, 
as was the case, that there had been no resolution of this kind. 

Up till then, there had been nothing but facts to ascertain, but 
when Robin, on behalf of his mandatories, sought to interpret 
these facts in a light that would have prejudged the Swiss 
dispute,’ the Council cut things short! 

First it was pointed out that, in a letter preceding the one from 
Eccarius, the conditions of the Alliance’s admission had been 
specified, that they had been accepted by the Alliance and that it 
was a question of knowing whether the Alliance had fulfilled those 
conditions—a question to be dealt with by the Conference. 

As to the contribution for 1868-69, it was pointed out that this 
payment was made by the Alliance to buy its admission to the 
Basle Congress of 1869 and that thereafter the Alliance had paid 
nothing further. 

As to the second question, it was pointed out that if the General 
Council had not passed a resolution excluding the Alliance, this 
certainly was no proof that the Alliance had not excluded itself by 
its own conduct and actions. 

The Council then resolved that, while it might reply to the 
factual questions raised by Guillaume, it reserved for the 
Conference the right to pronounce on the essential aspects of the 
affair, 

L’Fgalité arrives here at very irregular intervals. 

You would oblige me by acknowledging receipt of this letter. 

Fraternal greetings, 
K. M. 

P. S. I do not sign myself Secretary for Russia in the Council’s 
manifestoes for fear of compromising our friends in Russia.