London, 16 April 1888 

Dear Liebknecht, 

I was on the point of answering your letter of the 4th when your 
second one arrived with an enclosure for Karl Kautsky and giving me to 
understand that my answers no less than your questions were already 
things of the past. 

All I want to do now is point out how this is connected with the 
Social Democratic Federation’s circular. 

1. The Social Democratic Federation still poses as the only socialist 
organisation in England and the only one entitled to act and speak on 
behalf of the movement over here as a whole. This was why it was neces- 
sary, having regard to the preparations for the congress, to emphasise 
that position, the more so as the Socialist League”! in its present form 
will probably fizzle out before long and the Social Democratic 

Federation would like to absorb the disjecta membra.* Fortunately, 
however, that won’t come off, for if it did the same old personal squab- 
bles would at once begin all over again. 

2. The Social Democratic Federation is closely in league with the 
Possibilists in Paris and, since these in their turn are in league with 
Broadhurst & Co.,2°? the Social Democratic Federation must manoeu- 
vre. This second reason is the crucial one. Hyndman & Co. have become 
so deeply embroiled with the Possibilists that they can no longer draw 
back, even if they wanted to. 

My opinion of all this congress business? I’m barely capable of 
expressing one, since I haven’t the faintest idea of what has been 
discussed and anyway views change, kaleidoscope-fashion, even in your 
own case. By and large I regard all such congresses as exceedingly risky 
unless one is absolutely sure of success from the outset and, unless some- 
thing definite and attainable is to be discussed, as somewhat unnecessary. 
The small fry, in particular the Belgians, have the chief say and, since the 
foreign department in Belgium is run, not by the Flemings, but by the 
old Brussels clique—the Brismée family—the same old dish is served up 
every time. But to want to hold your congress over here,?”? one week 
after the Trades Unions have held theirs, would spell utter ruin. Your 
funds would be used up, your people would run off and you’d be irre- 
deemably delivered up into the arms of London’s wirepullers—ad 
majorem gloriam Hyndmanni. 

That Geneva is the place where the French—never mind what sort— 
ought to hold a congress to celebrate the French Revolution of 1789 and 
a propos of the Paris Exhibition‘ is something you'll certainly never get 
them to believe. 

So even if your congress doesn’t materialise, it will, in my view, be no 
great disaster. In any case the agenda is needlessly restricted. A congress 
convoked by our Reichstag group would, after all, be attended exclu- 
sively by socialists and anarchists, not by Trade Unionists pure and 
simple. A social-democratic congress could throw the anarchists out, a 
general workingmen’s congress cannot, and they are capable of being 
thoroughly obstreperous. 

Fritz had better make haste and perk up—from the point of view of 
his health; otherwise Bismarck will prove too much for him. I hope that 

4 scattered limbs (Horace, Satires, I, 4) — > to the greater glory of Hyndman - 
© The international exhibition which was to be held in Paris in 1889 

Bismarck goes too far and gets sacked, the dissolution to be followed by 
fresh elections under some sort of interim administration. That would 
provide a nice dose of désillusionnement for the philistines. But obvi- 
ously when you may be condemned any day to have your throat slit by 
the doctors, you’re unlikely to have much zest for a serious fight. And 
on his own showing Bismarck is already defending himself tooth and 
claw. 
Kindest regards. 
Your 
FE. 

Was the stuff we sent you on Saturday what you wanted? If not, there 
has been a misunderstanding. The German is by Eccarius.?7!