B591 <=> B593 (BTG XXXIV Russia, p. 592)

“During these walks of ours together it so happened that we began, why I don’t know, to talk chiefly about the weak will of the three-brained beings and about those weaknesses unworthy of them, which they themselves call ‘vices’ and to which they, particularly the contemporary beings, accustom themselves very quickly, and which finally become for them a basis, in the sense of the aim of their existence, as well as in the sense of the quality of their being-manifestations.

“Once during one of these conversations of ours he, addressing me suddenly, said:

“’My dear Doctor! In my native land during recent times the passion for alcohol is strongly developed and widely spread among people of all classes, which passion as you know always, sooner or later, leads in general to those forms of mutual relationship which usually bring about the destruction of the century-old pillars and attainments of Society.

“’This is just why several farsighted compatriots of mine, having at last understood all the seriousness of such a situation as had arisen in our country, collected together, in order perhaps to devise conjointly some means or other for the prevention of any catastrophic consequence. For the realization of this task of theirs, they there and then decided to found a society under the name of “The Trusteeship of People’s Temperance,” and they chose me to be the head of this enterprise.

“’At the present time, the activities of the “Trusteeship,” as regards the organization of measures for the struggle against the said state evil are in full swing.

“’We have already done much and we have in view to do much more.’