Letter to Georgi Plekhanov, July 12, 1902

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12.VII. 02

Dear G. V.,

Your article received.[1] Many thanks for revising it. I have sent it to London just now. As regards Berg’s article, V. I. believes it could very well go next to yours, but in my opinion it would-be better to hold it up until later. We shall ask Berg.

Write to me in London, for I don’t know how long I shall be here. Still, I’ll be staying here at least a week, and in case you write within this time, here’s the address:

M-me Leguen (pour M. Olinoff) Loguivy (par Ploubazlanec). CĂ´tes du Nord. France.

Why didn’t your trip to Brussels come off?[2] Is the conference not going to take place? At any rate I hope to see you in London. I don’t think much of L. Gr.’s plan to substitute for the London meeting a trip by Berg and myself to Switzerland for 10–12 days (sic!) to see some new arrivals from Russia. Really, how can anything worth while be accomplished in 10–12 days? For we have to get to know the arrivals thoroughly and individually, and besides we have much to talk over among ourselves. And we cannot afford to stay long in Switzerland (there’s work to be done). Lastly, the newcomers must (if they are Iskra supporters) make a study of all (or part) of our correspondence with Russia, and this can be done only in London. Without such a study of our correspondence the meeting would be point less and all but useless. Because of all these reasons I am strongly for a meeting in London.

Best regards,

Yours....

P.S. In my opinion, unity with the Union crowd is out of the question now: they are insolent and were very offensive towards Berg in Paris.[3] Perhaps he will forward to you my letter setting forth in detail why it is necessary to be firm and extremely cautious with them. Our affairs in Russia are now very much on the upgrade, and here are the Union people threatening to display independence! God forbid....

Somehow Zarya is still stuck. Dietz jokes that it isn’t fated to come out!

  1. ↑ The reference is to the article “Criticism of Our Critics”, published later in Zarya No. 4.—Ed.
  2. ↑ Probably a reference to G. V. Plekhanov’s trip to attend a meeting of the International Socialist Bureau.
  3. ↑ Y. 0. Martov (Berg) conducted talks in Paris with members of the Union of Russian Social-Democrats concerning the formation abroad of a section of the Organising Committee to prepare for the convocation of a Party congress, as envisaged in the decision of the Belostok conference.