Lenin writing. We are very pleased with the successes and energy of the OC. It is extremely important to apply all efforts immediately to bring the matter to completion and as quickly as possible. Try to replace the member from Petersburg as soon as possible (it would be good if Ignat [took his place]) and write in more detail about how the Organizational Committee was received in various places (committees). Will Ignat see Fekla* soon? We need to know more precisely and more quickly.

The list of questions was outlined by us approximately as follows (order of discussion sequence): 1) attitude toward Boris**? (If only a federation, then disperse immediately and meet separately. One must prepare everyone for this.) 2) Program. 3) Organ of the party (newspaper. New or one of the existing ones. Insist on the importance of this preliminary question). 4) Organization of the party (basic principle: two central bodies, not subordinate to each other. a) Central Organ — ideological leadership. Abroad? b) Central Committee — in Russia. All practical administration. Regular and frequent meetings between them and certain rights of mutual participation or sometimes mutual co-optation. It is extremely important to prepare the ground in advance for carrying through this basic principle and for its full clarification by everyone. Then: the greatest possible centralization. Autonomy of local committees in local affairs — with the right of veto*** by the CC in exceptional cases. District organizations only with the consent and approval of the Central Committee). 5) Various questions of tactics: terror, trade unions, legalization of the workers' movement, strikes, demonstrations, insurrection, agrarian policy and work among the peasantry and in the army, agitation in general; leaflets and pamphlets, etc., et cetera — here the order is not observed. 6) Attitude toward other parties ("Osvobozhdenie," Socialist-Revolutionaries, Poles, Latvians, etc.). 7) Reports of delegates (it is very important that reports come from each committee and be as complete as possible (prepare them now and for security's sake submit copies to the OC for sending to us). Always try to characterize the local SR's and assess their strength and connections in the reports). 8) Émigré groups and organizations ("Rabochee Delo," "Borba," "Zhizn," "Svoboda"207. Entrust a commission or the CC with working out a plan for their unification). 9) May 1st. 10) The 1903 Congress in Amsterdam208. 11) Internal organizational questions: finances, type of organization of committees, entrusting the CC with transport and distribution of literature, etc. Part of this will probably have to be discussed in commissions.

I repeat that this is only an approximate outline, and the order has been discussed here jointly only regarding points 1-5. Moreover, among the editorial board members, I was in favor of placing point 3 in one of the first positions (namely, as the third), while another member (Pakhomy) was in favor of placing it after point 5. I consider it important to decide point 3 first, so as to give battle at once to all opponents on the fundamental and broad question and to clarify for ourselves the whole picture of the congress (respectively*: to break ranks for a serious reason).

Find out whether you will have rapporteurs and on which questions (ad 5** — in detail).

What pamphlet does Ignat request be published? Is it not a letter to Yerem?***

By all means obtain from each committee (and group) an official and written answer as to whether they recognize the Organizational Committee. This is necessary immediately.

I advise publishing an announcement about the OC in Russia as well (i.e., not only printing it in *Iskra*): even if you have to mimeograph it, do publish it.

We will send the general editorial draft of questions and a list of our rapporteurs when we confer about this with everyone

* — respectively. Ed.

** — to 5 (point). Ed.

*** See V. I. Lenin, "Letter to a Comrade on Our Organizational Tasks" (Works, 5th ed., vol. 7, pp. 1-32). Ed.