To Papa from Lenin

Dear friend! I hasten to reply to your letter, which pleased me very much indeed. You are a thousand times right that one must act decisively, revolutionarily, and strike while the iron is hot. I also agree that one must unite precisely the committees of the majority. The necessity of a Russian center and a local organ here is now clear to all of us. For the latter we have already done everything we could. The Ordinary [Representative] is working at full capacity, has attracted participants, is devoting himself entirely, and with all his strength is seeking a millionaire with considerable chances of success.

Finally, you are a thousand times right also that one must act openly. The disputed question between us concerns only a detail and it must be discussed coolly, namely: shall it be a conference of committees or the direct formation of a "Bureau of Committees of the Majority" (we like this name better than Organizational Committee, though of course the matter is not one of nomenclature) such that this bureau be recognized first by several, and then by all committees of the majority. You stand for the first, we for the second. Were a conference abroad possible, I would be entirely for it. In Russia, however, this is devilishly dangerous, cumbersome, and unproductive. Meanwhile Odessa + Nikolaev + Ekaterinoslav have already come to agreement and entrusted the "Twenty-two" to "appoint an Organizational Committee." We responded with a recommendation of the name "Bureau of Committees of the Majority" and a slate of seven candidates (Rusalka, Felix, Zemlyachka, Pavlovich, Gusev, Alekseev, Baron). We are writing about this to Odessa and St. Petersburg.

Alekseev has already gone to you. Would it not be better to conduct the election of candidates through Riga, St. Petersburg + Moscow, then immediately announce this publicly (we are sending a draft announcement*), then gallop to the Northern Committee, to the Caucasus, to Saratov, Nizhny, and so forth, asking them to join and supplementing

* See V. I. Lenin. Works, 5th edition, vol. 9, pp. 66-70. Ed.

the bureau if possible liberally with a couple or so of their candidates (though it is not very probable that the committees joining will demand substantial additions to the bureau's composition). I absolutely cannot imagine that we would encounter difficulties because of the bureau's composition.

The advantages of such a method: speed, economy, safety. These advantages are very important, because speed is everything now. The bureau will be the official organ of unification of the committees and will in fact fully replace the CC in case of a split. The composition of the literary group for our future Central Organ is also completely determined (five or six: Ordinary Representative, Gallery, myself, Schwarz + Lunacharsky + perhaps Bazarov). You undertake responsibility for transport and more energetically too. We have here adapted one former Bundist who worked a great deal on both borders; he promises for 200-300 rubles a month to arrange the matter. We are only waiting for money and then will connect him with you.

The disadvantage of your method: cumbersomeness. I consider it completely useless to present ultimatums to the CC and the Council. The CC is hypocritical, and I now have not a moment's doubt that they have entirely sold themselves to the minority and are going entirely and unconditionally toward falsifying the congress. One must not harbor illusions about this. Now that all the centers are in their hands, they have thousands of means to falsify the congress and they have already begun doing so. We shall prove this in print, analyzing the decisions of the Council (nos. 73-74 of *Iskra*, appendix). We of course stand and shall stand for the congress, but one must trumpet everywhere that they are already falsifying the congress and that we shall expose the falsification. Actually, I now rank the congress in ninth place and the organ and Russian center in first place. It is ridiculous to speak of disloyalty when we have been directly pushed into this by their entering into a deal with the minority. It is a lie that the secret organization of the minority has been dissolved; no, three members of the CC have entered into this secret organization, that is all. All three centers now constitute a secret organization against the party. Only fools cannot see this. We must answer with an open organization and expose their conspiracy.

Please, strengthen in everyone faith in our organization and in the future organ. One need only be patient

TO R. S. ZEMLYACHKA. 10 DECEMBER 1904

a little longer while the Ordinary Representative finishes his work. Collect and send us correspondence (always with the inscription: To Lenin) and materials, especially from workers. We diverge with you on a detail, for I would of course only be glad of a conference. But truly, it is not worth the trouble; it is much better to come out at once and immediately with an announcement from the bureau, for regarding its personal composition we shall easily collide, and conflicts on this ground are incredible. And once the bureau announces itself, it will quickly be recognized, and it will begin to speak in the name of all the committees. Think this over once more carefully and answer as soon as possible.

Written 8 December 1904

Sent from Geneva to Russia

First published in 1926 in Lenin Miscellany V

Printed from the manuscript