[126] "My heart bleeds to see that only those ready to volunteer engage in the combat. This is not, citizen delegate, a denunciation; far from me such a thought; but I fear lest the weakness of the members of the Commune should cause our great projects for the future to miscarry." This heroic letter is taken from a book, _Le Fond de la Societe sous la Commune_, which contains documents found by the army in different mairies and administrations. The work in general is an odious caricature, of which the author himself, a Joseph Prudhomme, in the shape of a bloodhound, is certainly the most ridiculous trait. [127] Appendix V. [128] Very approximate numbers. The return of the _Officiel_ of the 6th May is very incomplete. In general, these statements were erroneous, fictitious, especially after the administration of Meyer. [129] The figures which I give have been carefully verified _de visu_, first during the struggle, afterwards with generals, superior officers, and functionaries of the War Office. General Appert has drawn up merely fantastic returns. He has created imaginary brigades, manufactured effective returns by counting as regular combatants all men who, at any time, might have been told off for active service, and constantly duplicated the items of his accounts. He has thus contrived to give more than 20,000 men to Dombrowski, and as much as 50,000 to the three commanders--quite ridiculous figures. His report swarms with mistakes as to names and functions; he does not even know the names of certain general commanders. It possesses no kind of historical value. [130] A member of the Council discovered him, and presented him at the War Office, where he explained his ideas: "But," it was remarked to him, "this is word for word what Felix Pyat does not cease saying to us." "A few days ago," answered Wroblewski, "I sent Felix Pyat a memorandum." Rossel went to Pyat's bureau, and there found the memorandum. For several days this trickster had been making capital of the ideas of Wroblewski without the least allusion to their author, and astounding the Commission by his common sense and technical knowledge. CHAPTER XVIII. THE PUBLIC SERVICES--FINANCE--WAR--POLICE--EXTERIOR--JUSTICE --EDUCATION--LABOUR AND EXCHANGE.