V. I.

Lenin

217

To:   A. I. RYKOV

For Comrade Vlasov (and also, if he wishes, for the Poles)

Dear Friends, After giving thought to the whole agreement (resp. the
formulation of a common base and line of action for all of us) arrived at
in the Bureau between the
P.S.D. [1] and both Bolshevik trends, I cannot but point to the weakness , the
shortcomings of that base. [2]

The essence of the agreement is (a) to lay down a precise, clear-cut
anti- Golos and anti- Vperyod line of principle, i.e., to
reiterate and reaffirm struggle against both liquidationism and otzovism in
absolutely concrete terms ruling out any misrepresentations and evasions
(from which the Party has suffered so much); ( b) a practical “reform”, i.e., such a change in the composition of
all centres (or rather in the “factions” or “trends” represented in them) as would guarantee the pursuance of this line
of principle.

How does this work out? Both the theoretical “line” and the practical
activities are determined by the Central Committee. And its composition? In
the event of a simple “ultimatum” (and a cheap, very cheap one to boot)
from notorious dodgers, prevaricators, scoundrels and unprincipled
bargainers (like the Bund), etc., you are “ prepared ” to set the
number of members at 8. And this 8 is equivalent (as is now obvious) to
two groups of four.

The result: neutralisation, i.e., the complete impotence of
the C.C.!!

This is exactly what the liquidators want.

No reforms in our sense (i.e., as we have all agreed)
could be carried out with such a composition.

It is an absurd situation: we agree to give the Party the money, Rabochaya Gazeta [3] and all our energies conditionally . On what
conditions? The line of principle and the reform. Who carries out the one
and the other? The C.C. And what is the guarantee that they will be carried
out by the C.C.? A chance ultimatum presented by the enemies of
Social-Democracy (such as the liquidators from the Bundist
intelligentsia)!!

An agreement to do what the C.C. cannot possibly do with eight members.

That is the result.

That result is a repetition of the mistake made by the plenary
meeting [4] : good wishes, nice words, excellent ideas—but no power to
carry them into effect. Castigation of the liquidators in words and
captivity to the liquidators in reality.

It is for you practical workers to carry out the “agreement”—you
are the ones who introduced the clause concerning the eight. It is my duty,
after studying the agreement carefully, to warn you: the
liquidators will again make fools of you!

It is easy to “call oneself” a Plekhanovite (Adrianov and his ilk
would doubtless call themselves the devil and satan if only to get
some small concession : a title is a word, but a concession is
reality).

In reality you will be getting with your eight an impotent
institution shackled by the liquidators. That is the danger of which I
consider it my duty specially to warn you.

If you, as practical workers, undertake to establish a
C.C. (or rather, an eight ) capable both of condemning the
Golos and Vperyod people, and of carrying out the reform— that is up to you . Heartily desiring peace and accord
with you, I am pledged to help you to carry out your plan.

But to help does not mean lulling you with “the enchantment of fine
words”. To help means to point to the real dangers which one
must be able to avoid.

The plenary meeting of January 1910 held up the practical work of the
centres for a year by tying their hands, letting them be
shackled by the liquidators. In the spring of 1910 Inok did not succeed in escaping from that bondage. In the beginning of 1911 you will not be able to either,
unless you take urgent measures to carry out the agreement.

Best wishes,

N. Lenin

---
Notes:
[1]
Polish Social-Democracy.— Ed .

[2]
A reference to the “Points of Agreement” drawn up by the Polish
Social-Democrats, on the one hand, and the Bolsheviks and the conciliators,
on the other, and adopted on February 11, 1911, in

Paris, concerning the composition and the immediate tasks of the central
Party bodies, and especially to Point 2 of the agreement, which read as
follows: “The C.C. is to consist of 4 Bolsheviks+1 Polish
Social-Democrat+2 Plekhanovites (variant: 1 Plekhanovite +1 from
Golos )+1 from the Bund+1 Latvian.” This was followed by the
reservation which Lenin criticises as reducing the first part of the point
to nought: “Only after the Latvian and Bundist have formally announced on
behalf of their organisations that they are withdrawing from the C.C. if it
is thus constituted, will we demand as the ultimate minimum: 3 Bolsheviks+1
Polish Social-Democrat+1 from Golos +1 Plekhanovite+1 Latvian+1
Bundist.” The agreement was signed by Leon Tyszka, A. Rykov, G. Zinoviev,
and others.

[3]
Rabochaya Gazeta (Workers’ Gazette)—an illegal popular
Bolshevik paper published irregularly in Paris from October 30
(November 12), 1910. to July 30 (August 12), 1912. All told nine issues
came out. Launched on Lenin’s initiative, it was officially founded in
August 1910 by decision of a conference of representatives of the
Bolsheviks, pro-Party Mensheviks, the Social-Democratic group in the Duma,
and other sections of the R.S.D.L.P. Lenin was the paper’s guiding spirit
and editor.

The Sixth (Prague) All-Russia Conference of the R.S.D.L.P. commended
the paper’s vigorous and consistent defence of the Party and Party
principle and proclaimed it an official organ of the C.C., R.S.D.L.P.

[4]
A reference to the plenary meeting of the C.C., R.S.D.L.P., known as
the “Unity Plenum” held January 2–23 (January 15–February 5), 1910, in
Paris. For more detailed information on this meeting see present edition,
Vol. 16, Note 76.