A few days ago resolutions on the Provisional Government, on the war, and on unity passed by the Yedinstvo group were published in the press.

This is the Plekhanov-Buryanov group, a “defencist” group To understand the character of this group, it is enough to know that in its opinion:

1) “The necessary democratic control over the actions of the Provisional Government can best be achieved by the participation of the working-class democracy in the Provisional Government”; 2) “The proletariat must continue the war”—among other reasons, in order “to deliver Europe from the menace of Austro-German reaction.” In brief, what they are demanding of the workers is: Send your hostages, gentlemen, into the GuchkovMilyukov Provisional Government and be so kind as to continue the war for—the seizure of Constantinople! That is the slogan of the Plekhanov-Buryanov group. And, after that, this group has the hardihood to appeal to the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party to unite with it!

The worthies of the Yedinstvo group forget that the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party stands by the Zimmerwald-Kienthal resolutions, which repudiate both defencism and participation in the present government, even if it is a provisional one (not to be confused with a revolutionary provisional government!).

They fail to realize that Zimmerwald and Kienthal were a repudiation of Guesde and Sembat, and, conversely, that unity with Guchkov and Milyukov precludes unity with the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. . . .

They overlooked the fact that for a long time already Liebknecht and Scheidemann have not been living together, and cannot live together, in one party. . . . No, sirs, you have addressed your unity appeal to the wrong quarter!

One may, of course, make a bid for Ministerial portfolios, one may unite with Milyukov and Guchkov for the purpose of—“continuing the war” and so on. All this is a matter of taste. But what has it got to do with the Russian Social-Democratic Party, and why unite with it?

No, sirs, go your way!

Pravda, No. 11,

March 17, 1917

Unsigned