V. I.

Lenin

61

To:   G. V. PLEKHANOV

25.XII. 02

Dear G. V., Just received a letter from you and A. N. (how it came to be delivered
on a holiday I don’t understand!). Well, this looks like forced moves, as
chessplayers say. Under the circumstances Bonch of course should be won
over to our side, and in all likelihood, everybody will approve of your
step (going to Bonch-Bruyevich and “inviting” him to join the League).

But the question is what to do next. In my opinion, if your talks with
Bonch-Bruyevich will be (or were) successful, it is necessary first of all
(having assured him that you will sponsor his candidacy in the League and
are quite certain of success) to insist on a formal step on his
part as well. In other words, he should officially and publicly announce
that there has been a split in Zhizn and that he wishes to go over to Iskra .

Without such a step, I think, his candidacy should not be
formally put forward in the League, since Bonch-Bruyevich
officially has not yet left Zhizn and it would be ridiculous to
accept a person belonging to another organisation. Moreover, if
Bonch-Bruyevich is still only warring with Posse, still only
“ dividing up ” things with him, defending our interests, there is
as yet no guarantee of a favourable outcome!! This should not be forgotten . And if “Bonch is most determined to come over to us”, as
A. N. writes, insistence on your part will in no way be objectionable to
him, he will admit himself that so long as he has not officially left
Zhizn and made a statement, we, the League , cannot vote
for him. If the split in Zhizn has been finally decided on and is absolutely inevitable, it is in Bonch’s own interests
and his duty to announce this publicly at the earliest date , if
only in a letter [1] to Iskra . We would publish the letter at once in No. 30 and
thereby forestall our opponents and “bind Bonch” (and ourselves by
printing the letter [2]

).

In deed, this would be the best way, and the safest, for other wise we
might get into trouble....

And so my opinion is this: I also consider “all kinds of overtures”
to Bonch (which A. N. writes about and which you are making) necessary, but
if he, Bonch, does not take the formal step, and until he takes it, we
should confine our selves to these overtures which do not officially commit
the League, and nothing more.

As to what will happen later, no more hitches can be expected. When
Bonch-Bruyevich has left Zhizn and made a public statement, and
when his transport group has given its support to this statement, it can
easily obtain printed matter from our administration and begin transporting
it. If it becomes necessary to admit this group as well (as you, G. V.,
assume), we shall then find out all about it from Bonch and discuss whom to
accept and how.

[[ BOX-ENDS:

You, G. V., write that “we are awaiting instructions for the negotiations
with the transport group”. Let the group first set forth its position in detail , for who can tell what it represents?]]

You have not yet replied, G. V., about your feuilleton for
Iskra , or the article about Tarasov. Why?

Best regards, Yours, Lenin

P.S. Please send or pass on this letter to A. N.