27. I.

Writes the Old Man. Read your angry letter of 3. I and am replying immediately. Regarding correspondence, dogs* etc., the secretary** will answer below: I can no longer figure out who is at fault, but we must definitely be in constant communication, no less than twice a month, and so far this has not been the case, and for a long time we knew nothing about you. Do not forget that when we do not have letters, we cannot do anything, we do not know if people are alive, and we are forced, directly forced, to consider them almost non-existent. You did not answer my question about Brutus's relocation: apparently, there is little hope for good organization until this relocation takes place. Now to business. By scolding us, you overestimate our strength and influence: we agreed here on the OC, insisted on its congress, on inviting you, wrote to you***. We could not do anything, absolutely nothing, and we are not responsible for anything. The root of the troubles is that Brutus was not at the OC, and everything further was done without him (as well as without us). We did not accept an unknown member (this is such-and-such, a weakling and unintelligent, I knew him personally in Pskov, tied to family and place and backward, completely useless, because of him they already scolded Pancrat), we did not move the bureau, we did not give any "power" to Pancrat. But when it turned out that Pancrat was the only (NB NB) mobile person in the OC, then as a result, power could not help but arise. You write: people exist, but we do not have them, do not know them, do not see them. We became enraged to the point of neurasthenia due to the complete lack of people for the OC, which needs mobile, flying, free, and illegal people. Pancrat alone went underground, traveled, started to fly, started to know everything - and naturally took the rank of corporal. We did not hinder, of course, because we could not and did not want to hinder: there is no one else!!! Finally, understand this. Pancrat is lazy and negligent, but he is smart, sensible, knows the affairs, knows how to fight, can get along with him. Now he is stuck in Paris for an indefinite time, and we are scolding him, driving him back to Russia, because otherwise the OC is exactly zero.

Soon "she" (Akim's brother) is going, we will try to introduce her into the OC, "she" seems energetic.

"Pero" does not want to leave. There are no passports, no copies. If Brutus moves to a closer, more lively place, then we will help him regain the bureau*, and everything will be organized, hopefully.

Otherwise, everything will go (if it goes) according to Allah's will, according to Pancrat's will, and according to "her" will, and we are powerless here.

The literature has gone. More than 40 poods have been transported. The OC statement is being printed in No. 32, which comes out the day after tomorrow.

Uncle is also still on the sidelines (as is Brutus) and has not even reached anywhere; if he and Brutus settled at least in Poltava, they would take the bureau for themselves.

I am very angry with Zarin: he does not write properly, is lethargic, knows nothing about Kiev, allowed a split right under his nose. To such an extent to distance oneself from local affairs

* Refers to the bureau of the Organizational Committee for convening the II Congress of the Party. Ed.

is simply wild!! And what are we to blame for, that out of two "equal members" of the OC, Zarin "sits and is silent," while Pancrat, at least, stirs? I think (though I do not know for sure) that Zarin is a man with little initiative and, moreover, tied by legality and place. And now such people naturally remain on the sidelines, truly, without our fault and will*.