ORWELL'S LIST -1

The Guardian's scoop last weekend on George Orwell's list of fellow travellers (click here for the news story) was sexed up, to use the current jargon, but it is a scoop none the less.

Orwell's private, for-his-own-use, list of communist sympathisers was published in Peter Davison's edition of his collected works in the mid-1990s (updated for the paperback earlier this year). But no one until last Saturday had unearthed the list culled from this list - are you still following at the back? - that Orwell gave to Celia Kirwan (whom he fancied something rotten) when she started working for the Foreign Office Information Research Department, an anti-communist propaganda outfit, and asked him for help.

The Guardian's presentation of the story on its front page was cheap but clever - "Blair's babe: Did love for this woman turn Orwell into a government stooge?" asked the headline - and its subsequent coverage of the story in its news pages has taken the line that Orwell had a "hit-list" (click here). But the feature by Timothy Garton Ash in the Guardian Saturday review that actually told the story of the list was balanced and fair.

The list has not been put on the web, so here it is, scanned in: any mistakes that are not Orwell's are down to the technology.

And remember, it should have been titled: "I don't recommend you commission these people if you're looking for reliable anti-Stalinists working for your propaganda unit." It isn't a hit-list or anything like it: it's a list of writers and intellectuals Orwell thought were dodgy on the Soviet Union. Further posts will take this up.

Anderson, John Industrial correspondent (Manchester Guardian) Probably sympathiser only. Good reporter. Stupid.

Aldred (Christian name?) Novelist (Of Many Men etc.) Qy whether open CP member

Beavan, John Editor (Manchester Evening News) and other papers.Sentimental sympathiser only. Not subjectively pro-CP. May have changed views.

Blackett, Professor PMS Scientific populariser (physics)

Carr, Professor EH The Times. Aberystwith University. Books on Bakunin etc. Appeaser only.

Chaplin, Chas Films ?

Crowther, J Q Scientific populariser. Qy whether open CP member

Childe, Professor Gordon Scientific populariser (anthropology and history of science) ??

Calder-Marshall, Arthur Novelist and journalist. Previously close fellow traveller. Has changed, but not reliably. Insincere person.

Deutscher, I Journalist (Observer, Economist and other papers) Sympathiser only. Is Polish Jew. Previously Trotskyist, and changed views chiefly because of Jewish issue. Could change again.

Duranty, W (Anglo-US) Well-known foreign correspondent. Books on Russia etc.

Driberg, Tom MP for Malden, and columnist (Reynolds' News, previously Daily Express). Usually named as "crypto", but in my opinion NOT reliably pro-CP.

Dover, Cedric Writer (Half Caste etc.) and journalist. Trained as zoologist. Is Eurasian. Main emphasis anti-white (especially anti-USA), but reliably pro-Russian on all major issues. Very dishonest, venal person.

Goldring, D Writer (mainly novels) Disappointed careerist.

Hooper, Major (initials?) Military expert. Pamphlets, books on USSR.

Jacob, Alaric Foreign correspondent (D Express and other papers).

Kohn, Marjorie Teacher and journalist (New Statesman and other papers). Silly sympathiser.

Litauer, Stefan Foreign affairs expert, News Chron. Polish correspondent circa 1943-46
Obviously dishonest. Said to have been previously Pilsudski supporter.

Morley, Iris Foreign correspondent (Observer and other papers). Very strong fellow-traveller. Qy whether open CP member.

Macmurray, Professor John SCM National Peace Council. Personalist movement. Many books. ?? No organisational connection, but very pro USSR subjectively. It is worth noticing that the French branch of the Personalist Movement is partly dominated by fellow travellers.

Martin, H Kingsley Ed New Statesman. ?? Too dishonest to be outright "crypto" or fellow-traveller, but reliably pro-Russian on all major issues.

Mackenzie, Norman Journalist (New Statesman). Qy whether open CP member.

McLeod,Joseph

Mitchison, N Novelist. Silly sympathiser. Sister of JBS Haldane.

Moore, Nicholas Poet. ? Anarchist leanings.

McDiarmid, H (CM Grieve) Poet and critic. Scottish Nationalist Movement. Dissident Communist but reliably pro-Russian.

Mende, Tibor Foreign affairs expert. Books. Hungarian. Perhaps sympathiser only.

Neumann, R Novelist. Edited German "International Authors" for Hutchinson's, for some years.

O'Donnell, Peader Critic. Qy whether open CP member.

Parker, Ralph Foreign correspondent (News Chronicle and and other papers)

Priestley, JB Novelist and broadcaster ??

Padmore, George League against Imperialism, and kindred activities. Many pamphlets.
Negro. Dissident Communist (expelled from about 1936) but reliably pro-Russian.

Redgrave, Michael Actor ??

Smollett, Peter (real name Smolka?) Correspondent, D Express etc. Russian section of MOI during war. Said by CPers to be mere careerist, but gives strong impression of being some kind of Russian agent. Very slimy person.

Schiff, Leonard (the Rev) C of E parson (modernist). Knowledge of India. Pamphlets?

Werth, Alexander Foreign correspondent (Manchester Guardian and other papers). ? May not be fellow-traveller but gives that impression.

Young, Commander EP (RN) Naval expert. Pamphlets. Almost certainly "crypto"

Stewart, Margaret Journalist (News Chronicle, Economist and other papers). Active in NUJ. About 5 years ago was underground member of CP. May just possibly have changed her views. Very able person.