Documents from 1950 recently released indicates how far the British government when it oversees the BBC to monitor the activity of followers of communism and Soviet sympathizers. Despite the pressure of a Board Member who insists, the authorities rejected calls to do the cleaning.
In June 1952, Member of the Board of the Conservative Party urged Prime Minister Winston Churchill opened an investigation into communist activities in the UK. "There is a traitor in our midst," wrote Sir Waldron Smithers, "and although I deplore the suppression of freedom of speech, they should be treated as traitors."
The letter was contained in one document Churchill has just been released to the National Archives, more than 60 years later. Its contents must be kept secret "indefinitely," according to a note on the front of the envelope.
The historians believe the content of the letter was withheld because it involves MI5, the British intelligence service - and only in the last few years of their documents from the Cold War released to the public.
In 1952, Smithers urged the prime minister to set up a "committee headed by British judge or Advisory Queen ... who can perform extensive checks on the activity of the communist and report to you."
This happened in an era when US Senator Joseph McCarthy became the driving number of hearings, which gets a lot of attention and sparked controversy, would be alleged communist infiltration in the US, particularly in the sphere of civil servants.
In 1947, Smithers in Parliament asked the prime minister, which was held Clement Attele Labour, to "set up" the Committee for non-British activity, "Committee on Un-British activities -as Committee for Activity-Amerikawi -Committee on Un -American activities across the Atlantic.
Government rejected. Smithers asks followers communists declared illegal and their property seized. He again rejected.
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Board Member of the Conservative Party, Sir Waldron Smithers.
Five years later Smithers express concerns about communist sympathizers in the BBC. "In the event of war or major crisis ... these people, who are familiar with the broadcast mechanism, within half an hour can cut wires and damaged equipment to inhibit the broadcast," he said.
Together with the statement, he included a list of employees BBC that he considers followers, or sympathizers, communists, mostly working in the Russian bureau. In the name of the employee is no "Goldberg," Smithers described as "a Jew ... who controls a number of programs and is a follower of the communists."
Anatol Goldberg when it is the leadership of the BBC Russian - an important and influential figure.
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Churchill asked MI5 to investigate communist sympathizers BBC
Churchill also apparently concerned enough, to send a letter and a list of Smithers to MI5, through the ministry of the interior, requesting further investigations. MI5 reply by saying the prime minister need not worry. "In the view of the Security Agency, communist influence in the BBC is very weak and not a serious danger to security."
Over the years, MI5 has examined BBC staff. They believe there is only 147 followers communists, suspected communists or communist sympathizers, of 12,200 staff. The interior minister assured that the massive investigation - as proposed Smithers - "may cause embarrassment without pointless".
Separately, MI5 send their views on the list of Smithers. There is no evidence that any names on the list that had been a member of the Communist Party. They say, Anatol Goldberg in 1950 had any contact with a communist followers, employed Soviet News - that's it.
Wonderful raconteur
Pter Fraenkel, the former head of the BBC Russian, Anatol Goldberg knows well. "He is a great storyteller," he said, "one of the best I've ever known." He was not surprised that Goldberg had contact with Russian journalists in London - it's part of his job. Goldberg himself was not a communist.
