In 1972, you published Mr. Yann Cloarec’s anthology of L’Ennemi du Peuple, an anti-militarist journal published in 1903-1904. Mr. Cloarec (or you perhaps, as editor) thanked our Institute for help furnished (see p. 195).

Unfortunately, we have not been able to find our copy of L’Ennemi du Peuple, which was no doubt used by Mr. Cloarec. This periodical figures in our catalogue, and it is necessary that we have a complete collection – the only one in the world, a visitor, Mr. Redfern (who is writing a study of G. Darien)[1] assures us.

We believe that, after Mr. Cloarec consulted it, our copy of L’Ennemi du Peuple was not returned to its [proper] place in the stacks. Is it possible that you or Mr. Cloarec acquired one of our microfilms? Perhaps this will help us locate our Ennemi.

I hope that you – as a Friend of the Institute – will want to help us, and I thank you in advance.

[1] Georges Darien, a contributor to L’Ennemi du Peuple.

You must certainly know that Yann Cloarec was the pseudonym of Gérard Guégan, who – beyond the works that he has been able to publish here and there – was a salaried employee at Champ Libre and was dismissed in November 1974. It seems obvious that Guégan used your collection of L’Ennemi du Peuple to compose the anthology of texts by Darien that was completed by the printer on 19 March 1972 and then ultimately thanked “the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam and, more particularly, Maria Hunink, for the help she gave us.”

The only elements in our possession today are Darien’s typescripts. Guégan either recopied these texts in Amsterdam or he borrowed them without returning them to you: this is a question that is difficult to elucidate more than five years after the fact.

Perhaps you need to supervise more attentively your precious books and documents and the uses that can be made of them by visitors who care more about obtaining a [private] collection of rare books than scientific research.

I imagine your sad surprise in discovering that your collection is incomplete, all the more so because it figures in your catalogue and is unique in the world, according to what Mr. Redfern told you. I hope that your esteemed Institute and you yourself do not have too much difficulty reconstituting it, but I regret not being able to help you.

I beg you to accept, Mr. Director, the assurance of my very distinguished consideration.

Thank you very much for your letter and the book.[1]

We have also continued our research here at the Institute, but without result, alas.

[1] Perhaps a copy of Georges Darien, L’Ennemi du Peuple, preceded by Creve la Démocratie! (Champ Libre, 1972).

(Published in Editions Champ Libre, Correspondance, Vol. 1, Editions Champ Libre, Paris, 1978. Translated from the French and footnoted by NOT BORED! June 2012.)