The Washington times., 1920-07-16
SAYS BRITAIN RULED
I. BY SECRET SERVICE
Lansbury, Socialist, Denounces
, Police System Of Today in
Russian Theme.

LONDON, July 16.-A sharp attack
on the secret services OF Europe and
a warning to the British people that
they are partially ruled by an ire
sponsible secret service" is made by
George Lansbury. Socialist, and edi-
tor Of the labor newspaper. the Daily
Herald. in his book. What l Saw in
Russia" just published.
The warning is given in the preface,
in which the Socialist editor explains
how he came to make the nine weeks
trip in to Russia which furnished the
material of the book.
II learned one thing which Is in
delibly fixed on my mind" he writes.
"It is this: All governments. from
the greatest to the least, are ruled by
fear. 1t is fear which has created
the British secret police, under Sir
Basil Thomson. and 1t is fear which
has linked this department up with
the secret police of other countries.
80 powerful. so widespread IL the
net which Sir Basil Thomson and his
secret agents are weaving that even
the domain of ordinary diplomacy Is
not free of them. When James
O'Grady went to Denmark to nego-
tiate the exchange of prisoners, the
most important member of his stan
was one of the chief assistants to
Sir Basil Thomson. who. I suppose.
knows more about the activities Of
us all than we know ourselves.
NEW SYSTEM OF SPIES.
"I think 1t well that the British
people should understand we are now
partially ruled by an irresponsible
ha L Inc
classes are arguing about the sort Of
international they wish to establish,
the capitalist governments have Gre
ated a new international made up of
spies and agents provocateurs. and
this in order to preserve for the privi-
legged few in all countries the right to
exploit their fellow-men and women.
"The Workers International should
make one of the first objects of it's
propaganda the entire sweeping away,
root and branch. of this system of in
ternational misunderstanding and spy
ing. Unless we do so there will be
no sanctuary in the world for revolu-
tionists or even reformers.
Had the present iniquitous system
and laws been in force fifty years ago.
Mazzini. Marx. Kropotkin and thou
sands Of others would have found no
refuge in England or elsewhere. The
sacred right of property for the time
being has swept away the sacred
right of asylum for political offend
ers. In Difference to this interna-
tional bureaucracy it is argued that
the need for ii exists because of the
propaganda carried on by secret soci-
eties and revolutionaries.
CARRY ON PROPAGANDA.
"It is a strange commentary on this
argument that many governments
carry on a persistent secret propa-
ganda, paid for out of secret service
funds which are never checked or
audited, thus enabling police officials
to have at their disposal huge sums
Of money with which to create and
stir up the violence they are en-
ployed to track down.
my own solid conviction is that
Socialist and Labor governments must
be prepared at all hazards to throw
over all such methods once they. come
into power.
I'm my judgment no set of men and
women responsible for revolution OF
the magnitude of the Russian revolu-
tion ever made fewer mistakes or car
ried their revolution through with
less interference with the rights OF
individuals, or with less terrorism and
destruction than the men in control in
Russia"