Secret documents of the War Cabinet Tories saw the real danger was Trotskyism

BEFORE deciding to prosecute the leaders of the Trotskyist Revolutionary Communist Party for their part in organizing the Tyne apprentices' strike in 1944, Home Secretary Herbert Morrison presented to . the War Cabinet a six-page printed document about the movement.

This forms part of the Cabinet papers which are open to public inspection at the Public Records Office.

It is clear that the memorandum was based upon inside information — a police plant in the organization - as well as a study of its literature.

Entitled 'The Trotskyist MoveBritain, it was marked SECRET April 13, 1944. Appendix biographical details about the then leaders of the movement-James Ritchie ('Jock') Haston*, Mildred Lee, Edward, Grant, Tearse, Harold Atkinson, Heaton Lee and Ann Keen. Appendix B gives tionary Communist Party.

The document begins with a paragraph which says that Trotskyism is based upon the teachings of Marx and Lenin. As Britain was that time in alliance with Stalin, there is no wonder that it opposes 'Trotsky's doctrinaire views and Stalin's realism'.

The British ruling class and its Labour hangers-on always found Stalin 'realistic'. After all, he murdered Trotskyists, while they sent them to jail.

The document goes on to say: *The Trotskyists do not regard the form of society which now exists in Russia as socialismthey believe that true socialism can be achieved only by more or less simultaneous revolution over the greater part of the globe: and they are bitterly hostile to the Stalinist regime because it has not only "betrayed the revolution" in Russia itself but, by using the national Communist parties as the instruments of its 'reactionary" policy abroad, has retarded the development of the working towards world revolution.' The Trotskyists hope to attain their ends, it continues, 'by campaigning alongside the workers on the issues which most closely concern them, such as wages, employment and social condi* Haston, a renegade from the Trotskyist movement is now Educational Director of the EEPTU.

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Lord Morrison, photographed in tions'. It was precisely this that blood, sweat, toil and tears' Churchill and his henchmen were most afraid of.

It defined the Trotskyist position as being hostility to "fascism'-which it puts like that in inverted commas — the War Cabinet was not fighting fascism' , simply its imperialist rivals.

*The USSR, although degenerate, is still a workers state' says, 'and must be helped in its resistance to fascism; but the Trotskyist believes that capitalist governments cannot by their nature effectively oppose fascism, and that he can therefore only help the USSR if he first overthrows his own government.' Financing In the next section there follows a brief history of the Trotskyist movement in Britain from its formation in 1929; an account of its leaders; its organThe daily paper thai leads the fight against the Torles.

WEDNESDAY SATURDAY ization and membership publications.

In dealing with the financing of the movement it says 'There are no indications that Trotskyist organizations receive money from abroad. The members are expected to contribute liberally and are apparently prepared to do so!

If the government had been able to find any trace of foreign financial support it would have hastened to say so. That it did in the USA OFFICIAL US government not is a rebuttal of Communist Party allegations that the Trotskyists were in the pay of Hitler.

A discreditable pamphlet_was being circulated by the Communist Party at this time called 'Clear Out Hitler's Agents'. This accused the Trotskyists of being supporters of the Nazis. Again, the government, which would have been only too happy to find some connection, is obliged to say exactly the contrary. Doctrine.

revolution " by Stalin's plan to establish Socialism in the Soviet Union as a poliry by the personal dictatorship of Stalin, the weakening of the intluence of the socialism can be achieved only by more or less simultaneous revolution over the abroad has retarded the development of the working class towards world believe that world revolution will once more become possible as a result of the late M. Trotsky, by campaigning alongside the workers on the issues which most themselves as its leaders. This they seek to do, according to the directions of the although degenerate, is still a workers' State and must be helped in its resistance (Facsimiles of Crown-copyright records in the Public Records Office A section of the War Cabinet documents on Trotskyism. the miners—the ruling class had always feared the miners.

The Party's policy at that time was 'Labour to Power'.

'It desires the establishment of a Labour government because it believes that any post-war government must fail to fulfil the workers' expectations, and that the failure of a Labour government will produce a disillusion strong enough to throw the working class into the arms of the extremists.' The Memorandum concludes by saying:

"The Trotskyists are attracting workers whose discontent and desire to hit out at the employer war period by Trotsky. elaborated by Lenin and interpreted and applied to the conditions of the inter. 202. 1944.

WAR CABINET.

fascism, and the government can find no other outlet. They have achieved a small and localized but recognizable influence; and they are confident that the appeal of their militant programme will become stronger as the strain and friction inseparable from prolonged industrial effort increases. They have a closely-knit core of energetic leaders and a membership which makes up in enthusiasm what it lacks in numbers.' COtt • MENT Cop "continuing world appear by permission of the Controller temporary advantages much ore rapidly than at present, the ain lesson is that the Trotskyists were a big danger, at least potentially.

Antidote •The Memorandum also totes that the Communist Party 'would very much like to see the Trotskyists and their small paper suppressed'.

It would be interesting to have No. 1941 and had closed down the 'Daily Worker' , obviously sees King St as a harmless ally in the war, a factor in industrial peace (i.e.. class-collaboration) and an antidote to the real danger — It must have been in thinking of the revolutionary possibilities after the war that the War Cabinet decided to strike a blow at the movement as soon as possible.