Sound recordings and transcriptions of interviews by Joan Smith of Harry McShane, Marxist activist... 1.20 "Shinwell/Kirkwood (McGovern)" (side 1); 1.21 "Gallacher/1905" (side 2), [c1972]
Subjects of 1.20 include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): David Kirkwood, including his self-righteousness and his role as a shop steward at Parkhead Forge in resistance to dilution of labour arising from government policy in First Word War, which led to the deportation from Glasgow of Kirkwood and others (Q-1 to Q-4), attack by John Maclean in his “Speech from the dock” on Kirkwood’s boasting about the output of shells at Grants Mill after his return from deportation (Q-6 to Q-9), Kirkwood’s role in the Glasgow strike for a 40-hour week (Q-9 to Q-10), his claiming the credit for the ‘Queen Mary’ being built at Browns shipyard on Clydebank during the Depression (Q-12 to Q-13), his becoming discredited in the eyes of socialists, especially after entering the House of Lords (Q-14 to Q-16); John McGovern, including his strong position in the Independent Labour Party following his expulsion from the Labour Party in 1931 (Q-10 to Q-12); rowdy behaviour at launch of the ‘Vanguard’ battleship by Princess Elizabeth (Q-13 to Q-14); Emmanuel Shinwell, including his role in the 40-hour strike; (Q-16 to Q-17); denunciation of Darwinism and free thought by churchmen and debates on the issue on Glasgow Green (Q-17 to Q-18).
Subjects of 1.21 include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): Emmanuel Shinwell, including his lectures on Glasgow Green in support of Darwinism and free thought before the First World War (R-1), his chairmanship of Glasgow Trades Council (R-2), his effective role in the national seamen’s strike of 1911 in contrast to the corruption of National Union of Seamen leaders such as ‘Captain’ Tupper, and his formation of the breakaway British Seafarers’ Union (R-3 to R-5), attempt in 1912 or 1913 by NUS official Albert Wade French to shoot him resulting in the death of another man (R-6), his failure to openly oppose the First World War (R-7), his effective speeches during the strike in Glasgow for a 40-hour week in Glasgow in 1919 (R-8 to R-9), his talent and ambition (R-9 to R-10), his strong opposition to communists arising from their attacks on him (R-10); William Gallacher, including his arguing for atheism in a debate on Glasgow Green in 1908 or 1909 (R-11 to R-12), his advocacy of the syndicalist ideas of the Industrial Workers of the World after returning from the United States in 1911 (R-13), his disagreement with John Maclean during First World War on the respective importance of industrial and political issues (R-14 to R-15); information on the Russian socialist movement given to British socialists by Peter Petrov (R-15); reported hiding of guns to be sent to the Russian revolutionaries in 1905 by shop-keeper members of the Social Democratic Federation (R-15 to R-17); anti-Tsarist feeling caused in Britain by the 1905 revolution (R-18 to R-19); Andrew Boa, founder of the Kenton Park Co-operative Society in Glasgow and advocate of electing working men to parliament (R-19 to R-21).
Brand: not legible C60.