[p. 25]
Dear G and P:
I am rather disturbed that, after my bombarding you with so many reports from the 26th on, I have no word from you at this critical juncture.
Until I have answers, first personal, then official, to the demands posed in JPC's May 29th letter, I cannot advance things much here.
I did see Bert [Cochran], and confirmed what Jim & Co. had said: They not only have no further connection with the Fourth, but Bert now openly uses the kind of phrases that I jokingly used to characterize his last letter to us: "We're busy with serious things; if you boys want to play with internationals. . . ." or "We don't see any use in having anything to do with a paper international." His cynicism is such that it makes JPC's cynicism seem oblate devotion by contrast. They have dissolved their organization as a party and merely have a loose grouping supporting the magazine which, by the way, is having a great success even though it seems to be aimed at pre-Debs Kansas socialists of 1888. His idea appears to be to put everything back into a vaguely socialist pot and brew it up—eventually something may result. They are utterly hopeless and have nothing whatsoever to do with revolution any more. How they got that way is another problem, which I should like to discuss with you on my return in connection with my general ideas about the American party regime. . . .
[salutation missing]