Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

216LETTER TO BOLSHEVIK PARTY MEMBERS 87Comrades,I have not yet been able to obtain the Petrograd papersfor Wednesday, October 18. When the full text of Kamenev’sand Zinoviev’s statement in the non-Party paper NovayaZhizn was transmitted to me by telephone, I refused tobelieve it. But, as it has turned out, there can be no doubtabout it and I have to avail myself of this opportunity toget a letter to Party members by Thursday evening or Fridaymorning; for to remain silent in the face of such unheard-ofstrike-breaking would be a crime.The more serious the practical problem, and the moreresponsible and “prominent” the persons guilty of strikebreaking,the more dangerous it is, the more resolutelymust the strike-breakers be kicked out, and the moreunpardonable would it be to stop even to consider thepast “services” of the strike-breakers.Just think of it! It has been known in Party circles that theParty has been discussing the question of an insurrectionsince September. Nobody has ever heard of a single letteror manifesto by either of the persons named! Now, on the eve,one might say, of the Congress of Soviets, two prominentBolsheviks come out against the majority, and, obviously,against the Central Committee. It is not said plainly, butthe harm done to the cause is all the greater, for to speakin hints is even more dangerous.It is perfectly clear from the text of Kamenev’s andZinoviev’s statement that they have gone against the Central