Campbell Case
Encyclopedia
The Campbell Case of 1924 involved charges against a British
Communist newspaper editor for alleged "incitement to mutiny
" caused by his publication of a provocative open letter
to members of the military. The later decision of the government of Ramsay MacDonald
to suspend prosecution of the case ostensibly due to pressure from backbenchers in his Labour Party
proved instrumental in bringing down the short-lived first Labour government.
(CPGB) under the acting editorship of young activist J.R. Campbell
. The paper contained a provocative article for the "Anti-War Week Campaign" being conducted by the CPGB, entitled "An Open Letter to the Fighting Forces." This article read in part:
Sir Patrick Hastings had advised the prosecution of Campbell under the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797
; however, under pressure from a number of Labour backbenchers, the government forced the charges to be withdrawn on 13 August. Along with allegations of pro-Soviet activity, this allowed the Liberals
and the Conservatives
to brand Labour as under the control of radical left wing groups, and the two parties united to enable the passing in the House of Commons, by 304 to 191 votes, of a motion of no confidence in the minority government.
was called, which Labour lost to a majority Conservative government.
In a pamphlet published after the fall of the MacDonald government, the CPGB published a pamphlet by Campbell defending his decision to publish the aggressively anti-militariist
articles that he did in the party press:
A year later, in October 1925, after a number of posters had appeared advocating formation of soldiers' and sailors' committees and denouncing the use of troops against workers and further articles in issues of the Workers' Weekly dated 7 and 14 August 1925. The calls of the party for members of the military to resist orders ("If you must shoot, don't shoot the workers") caused the new Attorney General, Douglas Hogg
, with the overt encouragement of the Home Secretary
, William Joynson Hicks, to authorise a fresh prosecution under the Incitement to Mutiny Act.
The new round of prosecutions embroiled not only J.R. Campbell but also 11 other members of the Communist Party of Great Britain
, including (Willie Gallacher
, Wal Hannington
, Albert Inkpin
, Harry Pollitt
, William Rust, R. Page Arnot, Tom Bell
, Ernest Cant, Arthur MacManus
, J. T. Murphy
, and Tom Wintringham
). These defendants were charged with "conspiring between 1st January 1924 and 21st October 1925 to (1) utter and publish seditious libels; (2) to incite persons to commit breaches of the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797; and (3) to endeavour to seduce from their duty persons serving in HM Forces to whom might come certain publications, to wit Workers Weekly, and others, and to incite them to mutiny."
After an eight-day trial at the Old Bailey
they were all convicted, with Gallacher, Hannington, Inkpin, Pollitt, and Rust being given sentences of twelve months imprisonment, while Campbell and the others received terms of six months. Those receiving the lesser term had all refused an offer by the judge of a non-custodial sentence in return for a declaration that they would not engage in further political activities similar to those which formed the basis of the charges.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Communist newspaper editor for alleged "incitement to mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
" caused by his publication of a provocative open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
to members of the military. The later decision of the government of Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
to suspend prosecution of the case ostensibly due to pressure from backbenchers in his Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
proved instrumental in bringing down the short-lived first Labour government.
Prelude to the Campbell Case
On 25 July 1924 there appeared a new issue of Workers Weekly, a newspaper of the Communist Party of Great BritainCommunist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
(CPGB) under the acting editorship of young activist J.R. Campbell
John Ross Campbell
John Ross "Johnny" Campbell , best known as "J.R. Campbell," was a British communist activist and newspaper editor. Campbell is best remembered as the principal in the so-called Campbell Case...
. The paper contained a provocative article for the "Anti-War Week Campaign" being conducted by the CPGB, entitled "An Open Letter to the Fighting Forces." This article read in part:
"Comrades:
"You never joined the Army or Navy because you were in love with warfare, or because you were attracted to the glamour of the uniform. In nine cases out of ten you were compelled to join the services after a long fight against poverty and misery caused by prolonged unemployment....
"Repressive regulations and irksome restrictions are intentionally imposed upon you. And when war is declared you are supposed to be filled with a longing to 'beat the enemy.' The enemy consists of working men like yourselves, living under the same slave conditions....
"Soldiers, sailors, airmen, flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, the Communist Party calls upon you to begin the task of not only organising passive resistance when war is declared, or when an industrial dispute involves you, but to definitely and categorically let it be known that, neither in the class war nor a military war, will you turn your guns on your fellow workers, but instead will line up with your fellow workers in an attack upon the exploiters and capitalists, and will use your arms on the side of your own class....
"Refuse to shoot down your fellow workers!
"Refuse to fight for profits!
"Turn your weapons on your oppressors!"
The decision not to prosecute further
On 6 August it was announced in the House of Commons that the Attorney General for England and WalesAttorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
Sir Patrick Hastings had advised the prosecution of Campbell under the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797
Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797
The Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797 was an Act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. The Act was passed in the aftermath of the Spithead and Nore mutinies and aimed to prevent the seduction of sailors and soldiers to commit mutiny....
; however, under pressure from a number of Labour backbenchers, the government forced the charges to be withdrawn on 13 August. Along with allegations of pro-Soviet activity, this allowed the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
to brand Labour as under the control of radical left wing groups, and the two parties united to enable the passing in the House of Commons, by 304 to 191 votes, of a motion of no confidence in the minority government.
Aftermath of the Campbell Case
Following this, the 1924 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
was called, which Labour lost to a majority Conservative government.
In a pamphlet published after the fall of the MacDonald government, the CPGB published a pamphlet by Campbell defending his decision to publish the aggressively anti-militariist
Militarism
Militarism is defined as: the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests....
articles that he did in the party press:
"...[T]he Communist Party of Great Britain had to call attention to the fact that the Labour Government, while talking of its attachment to the cause of peace, was continuing the policy of previous imperialist governments. We had to expose to the Labour movement the true nature of this policy and to ask the Labour movement, if it was sincerely opposed to war, to fight war by all the means in its power.
"On the question of armaments, we advocated the policy of no credits for capitalist armaments.
"On the question of empire, we advocated that the Labour movement should force the government to abandon the brutal and cowardly repression of the struggling colonial peoples.
"We asserted that the Labour Government could prove its attachment to peace in a practical fashion, by publishing the secret treaties and the secret war plans in the archives of the Foreign and War Offices."
A year later, in October 1925, after a number of posters had appeared advocating formation of soldiers' and sailors' committees and denouncing the use of troops against workers and further articles in issues of the Workers' Weekly dated 7 and 14 August 1925. The calls of the party for members of the military to resist orders ("If you must shoot, don't shoot the workers") caused the new Attorney General, Douglas Hogg
Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham
Douglas McGarel Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham PC was a British lawyer and Conservative politician.-Background:...
, with the overt encouragement of the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, William Joynson Hicks, to authorise a fresh prosecution under the Incitement to Mutiny Act.
The new round of prosecutions embroiled not only J.R. Campbell but also 11 other members of the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
, including (Willie Gallacher
Willie Gallacher
William "Willie" Gallacher was a Scottish trade unionist, activist and communist. He was one of the leading figures of the Shop Stewards' Movement in wartime Glasgow and a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain...
, Wal Hannington
Wal Hannington
Walter "Wal" Hannington was a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and National Organiser of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement, from its formation in 1921 to its end in 1939, when he became National Organiser of the Amalgamated Engineering Union.-Political career:In...
, Albert Inkpin
Albert Inkpin
Albert Inkpin was a British communist and the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain . He served several terms in prison for political offenses...
, Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
, William Rust, R. Page Arnot, Tom Bell
Tom Bell (politician)
Thomas "Tom" Bell was a Scottish socialist politician and trade unionist. He is best remembered as a founding member of both the Socialist Labour Party and the Communist Party of Great Britain and as the editor of Communist Review, the official monthly magazine of the latter.-Early years:Thomas...
, Ernest Cant, Arthur MacManus
Arthur MacManus
Arthur MacManus was a Scottish trade unionist and communist politician.-Political career:MacManus joined the De Leonist Socialist Labour Party and began work at Singers in Clydebank, then known as part of the Red Clydeside...
, J. T. Murphy
J. T. Murphy
J.T. "Jack" Murphy was an English trade union organiser and Communist.-Early years:J.T. Murphy, best known by his nickname of "Jack," was born in 1888 and grew up near Sheffield and became a metal-worker...
, and Tom Wintringham
Tom Wintringham
Thomas Henry Wintringham was a British soldier, military historian, journalist, poet, Marxist, politician and author. He was an important figure in the formation of the Home Guard during World War II and was one of the founders of the Common Wealth Party.-Early life:Tom Wintringham was born 1898...
). These defendants were charged with "conspiring between 1st January 1924 and 21st October 1925 to (1) utter and publish seditious libels; (2) to incite persons to commit breaches of the Incitement to Mutiny Act 1797; and (3) to endeavour to seduce from their duty persons serving in HM Forces to whom might come certain publications, to wit Workers Weekly, and others, and to incite them to mutiny."
After an eight-day trial at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
they were all convicted, with Gallacher, Hannington, Inkpin, Pollitt, and Rust being given sentences of twelve months imprisonment, while Campbell and the others received terms of six months. Those receiving the lesser term had all refused an offer by the judge of a non-custodial sentence in return for a declaration that they would not engage in further political activities similar to those which formed the basis of the charges.
Further reading
- 'A Barrister,' Justice in England. Left Book Club edition. London: Victor Gollancz,1938.
- David Williams, Not In the Public Interest, London: Hutchinson, 1965.