842/54

Item

Subjects include (transcript page numbers given in brackets): general lack of concern about outbreak of a major war before 1914 (S1-S2); popularity of anti-war music hall song, ‘Little man’ eclipsed by ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ on outbreak of war (S2-S4); vehement pro-war campaigns by Ben Tillett, Horatio Bottomley, Harry Lauder and others (S5); ambiguous position of Ramsay Macdonald and Kier Hardie on the war (S5-S6); support for war by most Glasgow Labour councillors (S6-S7); lack of declaration on the issue by Emanuel Shinwell (S7); concern about dilution of labour among skilled engineers (S8); rise in rents and consequent evictions after outbreak of First World War (S8-S9); protest in November 1915 against an eviction case and the sacking of John Maclean from his job as a schoolmaster (S9-S10); delay in hearing the eviction case until the passing of the Rent Restriction Act (S11); socialist agitation against rising food prices (S11-S12); varied content of ‘Clarion’ newspaper and its pro-war stance, including articles by Julia Dawson defending women made pregnant by soldiers (S15-S16); war weariness caused by increasing casualties (S17-S19); ‘Private Spud Tamson’, novel about service in the Highland Light Infantry and the bad reputation of the latter (S19-S20); anti-war songs and poems (S21-S22); boost to socialist propaganda provided by the Russian Revolution (S24-S25).

26 pages (2 page 9s)

Open

Recording at 842/6.

English