For Vasilyev and No. 3. Dear friends! Today we received your news that the majority of the cooperative has again installed national-cultural autonomy to please the Jewish nationalists and the rest of the company. What is this—a mockery of the six? Do these gentlemen really not understand that, by interpreting the programme to please this* company, they thereby free the minority from subordination? Why, this is a public disgrace, that they are prevailing, using one vote of a muddle-headed Menshevik by chance, or perhaps relying, on this question, on No. 16. We do not know what the six have done about this.

But how one can silently submit here, how No. 3 can agree to read such filth publicly (and thus take responsibility), how the six (or at least No. 3 alone) could not immediately come forward in *Den* with a declaration that these gentlemen are mocking the programme and leading to a split—we positively do not understand. For if we keep silent, the Jewish Marxists** will ride roughshod over us tomorrow. In general, there is a limit. And if these gentlemen think that the minority is obliged to submit even when the programme is being torn to shreds, they are gravely mistaken.

We sent one article on cultural-national autonomy in general, even before your letter (there we quote Plekhanov: the Caucasians and the Bund are adapting socialism to nationalism). Today we are sending articles directly against the cooperative. We ask you to help get them printed as soon as possible, and we think that, if it is not too late, you should try by resolute measures to avert the change of the programme. It is necessary to fight, since they are going to such lengths. As regards the merger of *Vechernyaya Pochta* 155 with *Den*, you will probably all adopt a resolution, with the exception of the liquidationists. It goes without saying that on their part this was a swindle and that we shall not go into any common undertaking. Why are only four coming? We very, very much request that you ensure the arrival of the whole six. This is extremely important.

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Written on December 20, 1912.

Sent from Cracow to Petersburg

First published in 1933

in the book: *From the Era of “Zvezda” and

“Pravda” (1911–1914).*

Part III

Printed from the typewritten copy

(perlustration)

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* In the copy it is indicated that the following words are illegible; it can be presumed that the word “with the aim” was written there. —Ed.  
** — Bundists. —Ed.