Communists in British Service

Grey River Argus, 5 April 1948, Page 7

Communists in British Service

The Bi’itish Government’s decision to exclude Communists and persons associated with them from certain forms of state service, was announced in the House of Commons yesterday by the Prime Minister, is taken for security reasons only, as a consequence of the Russian campaign begun openly last year against the European Recovery Programme. It is no general heresy hunt against those with Communist or extremist views, but merely the taking of minimum precautions against disloyalty in the secret state service of employment vital to general security. The Communist vote in Britain is only about one in a thousand, but exp'ecially since the German attack on Russia, Communists have secured important positions out of all proportion to the numbers of their native supporters. Up to' seven per cent, of the Trade Union Congress delegates as a whole have been estimated as Communist sympathisers while the percentage in some unions is higher. The number of sympathisers among Labour members in Parliament is commonly thought to be anything up to ten per cent. Mr Attlee’s announcement enables the state authorities to exclude anyone from official employment on secret work, those political assosiations raise doubts about their loyalty. Questions about continued employment of such persons in highly responsible places have been increasingly asked since Russia practically abandoned the pretence of co-opera-tion with the other powers and resumed an organised sabotage-politi-cal industrial and strategic—on a large scale. Mr W. J. Brown, Independent M.P., who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Civil Service Clerical Association, has during the last few months been particularly active in drawing attention to the situation. Theer lately have been some transfers and dismissals which were reported to haveen made on official information about the persons’ political associations. The matter is now brought into the open and put on a regular basis as is the rule of the Civil Service. , , , Mr Aattliee prefaced his announcement about Communists in the Civil Service bv saying that when asked recently about the transfer or dismissal ‘of Government servants he had repldied that there were certain duties of such secrecy that the state was not justified in employing m connection with them, anyone whose reliability was in doubt. . , He continued, ‘ experience in this country and elsewhere nas shown that membership and of continuing association with the Communist Partv may involve acceptance by the individual of loyalty which, ; in circumstances, can be inimical to th State. It is not suggested that in matters affecting State security all those who adhere to the Communist Party would allow themselves thus . to forget their primary loyalty to the State. But there is no way of distinguishing such people from those who, if opportunity offers, would be prepared to endanger the security of the State in the interests of another P °The Government, therefore, decided the only prudent course is to ensure that no one known to be a member of the Communist Party or

associated with it In any way as to raise legitimate doubts aboiilt their reliability is employed in connection with work, the nature of which is vital to State security. The same applies to those known to be actively associated with Fascist organisations. To emphasise the fact that this action is being taken solely on security grounds and that, the Government is not concerned with the nolitical views as such of its servants, Mr Attlee added that as far as possible alternative employment on non-se-cret Government work will be found for those deemed unsuitable for secret work.

Mr Attlee was unusually sharp in replying to the Comunist and nearCommunist M.P.’s who disputed announcement about the Civil Service. He referred with asperity to the Communist attitude in the early years of the war and expressed the downright opinion that British workers are very well aware now from the events abroad and at homo what the Communist Party stands for. On the other hand, replying to the war-blinded Conservative M.P., Sir lan Fraser, who mentioned the “unacustomed and difficult course” on which the Government seemed to be embarking, the Prime Minister referred to those parts of his statement about action being restricted to very narrow limits where security is important. Mr Attlee associated himselft unreservedly with Mr W. J. Brown, who asserted that a vast majority in the Public Service recognise the distinction between those of whatever party who' accept their country’s democratic promises and those who deliberately reject them. Mr Brown further pointed out the contrast .between this “restrained and gentle” treatment and the wholesale purge of the Czechoslovak Civil Service not members of the Communist Party and Mr Attlee again agreed.