16.11.1995

Comrade CL Malone MP charged at Bow Street

From 'The Communist', paper of the Communist Party of Great Britain, November 18 1920

MR TRAVERS Humphreys: The charge ... arises out of a speech delivered by the defendant on November 7 at the Albert Hall at a meeting of what is called the national Hands off Russia committee and the Communist Party of Great Britain ... This is what he said at the end of his speech:

“We are out to change the present constitution, and if it is necessary to save bloodshed and to save atrocities we shall have to use the lampposts or the walls. What, my friends, are a few Churchills or a few Curzons on lampposts compared to the massacre of thousands of human beings? What are a few Churchills or Curzons against the wall compared to the bombing of harmless Egyptians in Egypt; compared to the reprisals in Ireland? What is the punishment of these world criminals compared to the misery which they are causing to thousands of men and women and little children in Soviet Russia? What would be the death of a Churchill or Curzon?”

Then there were cries as one would expect among the ignorant people who were being addressed in such language of “Hang them”, “Burn them”, “Shoot them”. The defendant went on to say:

“ ... Make up your minds whether you are for the capitalistic classes and their scurry agents ... or whether you are with the Communist Party and the working class movement ... The hope of the working classes in this country lies in communism. The hope of the working classes of the whole world lies in the world revolution of the Communist International.”

... I should say that the defendant was arrested on his return to London from Ireland.