Date: 1902-08-04
Source: ru:PSS/v46
Source: CW vol 46

Dear B. N.! I have received both your letters and was very glad to learn from them, to see that the supposed "misunderstandings" really turn out to be smoke, as I had already written to Povar (I wrote to him that I was sure of this).

You complain about our "agents." And I felt like talking to you on this subject - it has become a sore point with me too. "Agents were recruited too easily"... I know, I know this perfectly well, I never forget it, but the tragedy (by God, it is a tragedy, not an overstatement!) of our position is that we have to act in this way, that we are powerless to overcome all the chaos prevailing in our work. I know perfectly well that there was no reproach to us in your words. But try to fully understand our position and put yourself in such a way as to say not "your agents," but "our agents." You can put yourself in this position and (in my opinion) you should do so - only then will any possibility of misunderstandings be eliminated once and for all. Replace the second person with the first, keep an eye on "our" agents, help in finding, dismissing, and replacing them, and then you will not be speaking of the "unpleasantness" of our agents (such remarks cannot fail to be misunderstood: they are met as an expression of aloofness, generally, by members of our editorial board who have not had the opportunity to clarify the matter with you), but of the shortcomings of our common cause. The mass of these shortcomings weighs more and more heavily on me. Now, I feel, the time is approaching when the question will come to a head: either Russia will provide its own people, will bring forward those who will come to our aid and set things right, or... And although I know and see that such people are coming forward and their number is growing, yet it is happening so slowly and with such interruptions, and the "creaking" of the machine so strains the nerves, that... sometimes it is extremely hard.

"Agents were recruited too easily." Yes, but we do not create "human material," we take what is offered and cannot but take it. Without this, we cannot live. A man is going to Russia, he says he wants to work for Iskra - he is honest and devoted to the cause. Well, of course, he goes, and becomes an "agent," though none of us ever conferred that title. And what means do we have to check "agents," to guide them, to place them in other positions? We often cannot even get letters, and in 9 cases out of 10 (I speak from experience) all our local plans for the future activities of the "agent" go to the devil the day after he crosses the border, and the agent works as his conscience dictates. Believe me, I literally lose all faith in local plans, routes, schemes, etc., because I know in advance that they are useless. We "have to" beat our heads against a wall, doing (for lack of other people) something that is not our job.

To appoint agents, to watch over them, to be responsible for them, to unite and actually lead - for this one must be everywhere, flying about, seeing everyone at work. For this, a team of practical organizers and leaders is needed, but we do not have them, that is, of course, we have some, but too few, too few, too few... This is the whole of our woe. When you look at our practical chaos, you often get angry to the point of losing the ability to work, and only one thing comforts: if the cause is growing and clearly growing, in spite of all this chaos. It means that it will ferment - and good wine will result.

Do you now understand why even a single remark by an Iskra-ist: "your agents are lightweights" - is enough to drive us almost to despair? Replace the "lightweights" yourselves, we want to say. After all, we say, repeat, even write in books, that the whole trouble is: "there are masses of people, but no people," and we are constantly being reminded of this lack of people. There is only one way out, an absolutely necessary and urgent one, in the most literal, not in the least exaggerated sense of the word - for time does not wait, and the enemies are also growing, and Osvobozhdeniye, and the Socialist-Revolutionaries, and all sorts of new Social-Democratic groups, from the frivolous whirlwind of Zhizn to the intriguer "Bortsy"* [Strugglers]. The way out is for Russian Iskra-ists to finally gather, find people, and take the management of Iskra into their own hands, for truly: our land is great and rich, but there is no order in it. They must find people, for there are people, but they must also cherish them as the apple of their eye, not only in the direct sense of protecting them from the police, but also cherishing them for this urgent task, not allowing them to be carried away by other, generally useful but untimely tasks. When we are forced to grab at anything, even the "lightest," because of the complete lack of people, it is not surprising that we cannot calmly watch others put off our business "until later."

If all the present, available Iskra-ists took up the management of Iskra, its independent organization, transportation, material, etc., without delay, then we would already have a de facto Central Committee, a CC that would control "agents" (for controlling agents is the business of the CC, not of the editorial board) and manage all practical affairs.

They say: if there are no people, where is the CC to come from? But, after all, we do find even lightweights, and we do find them. One solid man among ten lightweights does not make much difference, but the experience is not lost. People learn through work: some drop out, others replace them, and once the business is started, others will be drawn to it much more easily. If we form a CC now (not a formal one) - tomorrow it will be formal and will draw capable people from every local organization ten times more energetically than now. And only this "drawing from local organizations" can lead to such an arrangement of affairs that these local organizations will be properly served.

That is why I am jealous of Semyon Semyonovich, damnably jealous, and I react with agitation to any glance (even a glance) at "another person." I cannot react otherwise, for if the Iskra-ists do not say: this is my business, do not say it loudly, do not take up this business firmly, with hands and teeth, do not begin to scold the rest for lack of firmness, you once said to me: scold the Iskra-ists! and I replied: it is not I, but you who should do this, for only one who is practically involved in the work and knows its ins and outs has the right to scold, if the Iskra-ists do not do this, it means they want to leave us "only with the lightweights," and that would be the beginning of the end.

It is time to finish. I very much want you and Povar to picture our position as concretely as possible and to enter into it, and to speak not you, but we. In any case, it is necessary that Povar write to us very often, directly, and link us more closely with Semyon Semyonovich and Semyon Semyonovich with us.

As for your coming, if you have to stay in Zurich for a while, then it is a different matter. Why do you feel bad? Are you quite well? Do you need to rest?

I am still ailing, so there is no question of traveling.

Write your opinion of Zernova and Sanin. I have heard something about the latter from various people and formed the impression that he is not a worker, that he is too wild ("wild"). And is it true that Zernova is a bad person, that is, not only fond of "adventures" (that is not a misfortune in itself), but precisely unreliable as a person?*

Sincerely, Lenin

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Sent from London to Zurich

First published in 1925 in the Fourth Lenin Collection

Printed from the manuscript