Sound recordings and transcriptions of interviews by Joan Smith of Harry McShane, Marxist activist... 1.8 "1910-1915 Anti-War Propaganda" (side 1); 1.9 "1910-1915 War + Social Conditions" (side 2), [c1972]
1.8 "1910-1915 Anti-War Propaganda" (side 1); 1.9 "1910-1915 War + Social Conditions" (side 2), [c1972]
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[c1972]
Item
Subjects of 1.8 include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): speech by John Maclean in 1909 attacking the idea that the 1909 Budget was a socialist one (O1); disagreement with Maclean on voting tactics when a member of the joint committee of the provisional British Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party (O2-O3); controversy within the BSP over Henry Hyndman’s and Robert Blatchford’s support for naval re-armament and the attitude in Glasgow to it (O4-O7); position of BSP members on opposition to war (O8-O8); varying views among socialists in the period 1910-1914 of importance of industrial and political organisation (O9-O11); leading resistance to being inoculated after joining the Royal Engineers in September 1914 (O14); not returning from leave (O15); engagement in anti-war activities after returning from Texas and Mexico (O16); continuing to argue for socialism during Royal Engineers training (O20-O21); support for war by most ILP councillors in Glasgow (O24); position on the war of Emanuel Shinwell (O24-25); opposition to war of ILP-supporting newspaper, ‘Forward’ (O25).
Subjects of 1.9 include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): proceedings against John Maclean and other opponents of the war (P2); McShane’s continued involvement in anti-war activity (P3-P4); reporting of Zimmerwald Manifesto in 1915 (P4-P5); socialists’ hope that war-weariness would develop (P5); prostitution and bad housing conditions in Glasgow (P5-P6); strengthening of anti-war movement in 1916-1917 after earlier expectations of a short war proved unfounded (P6-P7); opposition to conscription and secret diplomacy (P8-P9); focus of shop stewards more on raising wages and opposing dilution of labour than on opposing the war (P10-P12); division among socialists on the Easter Rising of 1916 (P12-P13); inadequate unemployment insurance benefits and provision of relief work for the unemployed (P16-P18); women’s preference for factory work over domestic service in First World War (P22); trade union organisation of women workers (P23); involvement of women in the socialist movement (P24-P25); organisation of Glasgow rent strike (P25-P28).
Brand: Philips C90.