War on Reds

COMMONWEALTH

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

Premier Baldwin declared a fortnight ago, before the Conservative Party Convention at Brighton, that his Government would "deal strongly with any attempts to seduce the loyalty of the nation's armed forces." (TIME, Oct. 19.) Promptly Sir William Joynam-Hicks, eloquent and reactionary Home Secretary, persuaded the Cabinet to "deal strongly" with certain English Communists, and to deal at once. While headlines blared that Britain had at last begun war upon the Reds, eight famed Communists were arrested by operatives of Scotland Yard. They were: Albert Inkpin, secretary of the British Communist party; John Campbell, editor of the Communist Workers' Weekly; T. W. Wintringham, assistant editor; Harry Pollit, Secretary of the Communist National Minority movement; W. Rust, Secretary of the Young Communist League; E. W. Cant; Thomas Bell; "Willie" Gallacher.

Of this group Harry Pollit is notable as "the ablest Communist in Great Britain." At the International Trade Unionist Conference at Scarborough (TIME, Sept. 21), he was one of those most instrumental in rushing through the "motion of censure against the British Empire," which so alarmed reactionaries. And it was he who cried that, because of the machinations of the Conservatives, "every inch of the Empire is drenched with blood!"

In this "war" against Communists the Government proceeded with its usual circumspection. The eight leaders having been quietly seized and their homes searched for incriminating papers, they were arranged in court and charged with "conspiracy to publish seditious libels and incite individuals to violate the Mutiny Act* of 1797." It is understood that alleged attempts by the Communists to undermine the loyalty of the British Army and Navy at recent maneuvers will be cited as proof of the prosecution charges.

*Passed to suppress British sailors who had mutinied at Sheerness and Portsmouth during the war with France.