8. XI.

Dear P. B.! I received your letter of the 5th and the article*. Many thanks for it. The revision must have cost you a lot of effort and even more annoyance, as compressing such a topic must have been extremely uninteresting work. All the more valuable to us that you took it upon yourself. I apologize for not sending you articles: our "secretary" is unfortunately burdened with serious family responsibilities, so correspondence is very slow for him. I am sending the article "New Friends of the Russian Proletariat," which we want to place in No. 1, and a feuilleton**. Please let me know your opinion - you can write it on the article in pencil - and then be so kind as to send it to G. V-.

Regarding the Parisians, we have decided to follow exactly the tactic you advise: on the one hand, "not to arm," and on the other, "to abstain." Of course, they are dissatisfied with our abstention, and recently we had to (out of necessity) give such a rebuff to their expression of dissatisfaction that we were afraid of "cooling" (afraid is an inappropriate word, for we decided to give this rebuff even if it would undoubtedly lead to a break). Yesterday we received a reply from the "secretary" of the group they formed in Paris; judging by the reply, our rebuff did not have harmful consequences, and "all is well." We hope that it will continue to be so. That in the future we will probably have to think about a "charter" and other pleasant and interesting things, as you say, is quite true, but you did well to set a rough deadline of six months for this. Until the enterprise is "in full swing," -

* The article referred to is P. B. Axelrod's "Wilhelm Liebknecht." Ed.

** The author of the article "New Friends of the Russian Proletariat" is L. Martov. Ed.

it would be premature; we fully agree with your opinion on this.

But regarding the idea of starting to appear openly here, I cannot agree with you. That "legality has already been lost," I still cannot think. In my opinion, it has not yet been lost, and this may last for several more months, during which much will become clear. (Brother is already in Russia; everything is fine so far. The traveler* is also traveling safely for now.) Even with complete and final loss of legality, there may be weighty considerations against appearing openly (for example, considerations about trips home). Therefore, until the first issues come out and until we all (with Alexei and brother) gather, I will in any case continue to hide. If the enterprise is destined to succeed, this decision may soon change, but my former "optimism" about this condition has been significantly shaken by the "prose of life" 63.

Regarding the journal, it will likely soon become clear whether we will arrange it here or go to other countries to seek refuge. As soon as it becomes clear, I will let you know.

It is very inconvenient for me to write to America, as I do not know anyone there and they do not know me, - in any case, I would have to resort to your mediation: so wouldn't it be better to write directly to you and send the statement, informing them that it is from the Russian group, that your relationship with this group is such-and-such, that now a brochure "The May Days in Kharkov" is being printed at the same printing house, and after its completion, a newspaper will be printed, that the statement is silent about the journal (or collection) for conspiratorial-technical reasons, that for No. 1, such-and-such articles by G. V., yours, Kautsky's (Erinnerungen** - an interesting little thing, which V. I. is already translating), and others are being prepared (or are ready). I think all the goals you write about will be achieved much more directly and better by your letter, and sending the statement to America from you does not now (it seems to me) threaten undesirable

* Yu. O. Martov. Ed.

** - Memoirs. Ed.

publicity, especially sending one copy for the local society secretary to read at a meeting.

Sincerely, Your Petroff
P.S. Received the pillow and the book.