1955-08-20 — Page 13

DEATH AMONG THE COMRADES

By Julius Gould'

Lecturer an Sociology at the London School of Economics

T

HERE is one field in the very words "International which Communists Brigader" have become a term of abuse. Moscow's Bcurotic excel-that of self- fcur of fuctions has bred a destruction. I am thinking biter hatred of the "Spanish of the countless Communists group" within the Party. So who have been killed by their old comrades are sacrificed lest

worse befall, own "comrades" in purges and factional fights. When o country "goes Communist". the death-rate among Com munist lenders seems almost certain to riue,

No "capitalist" State 1108 developed the same. technique or destroylog Communists! By e patadox of politics a veteran. Communist is safer in London V Parks them in Prague or Budapest Al this spells A Party tyranny, fear of

NEW leath not only to $ deviation, fights for power dividuals but to all ideals 01 among the bosses--all these loyalty or comradeship. lend to moral squator. To get ou unsier Cominun- Fantastic charges

are ism itals

are not enough. bundled about and as readily well-olted revolver is for more useful, and the right kind of admitted. Then there is nick-to be in on the

winning pause until the cycle of side pad to keep in with Mas- lies and murder starts cow sa very tough assign-

A hero today mont

and afresh.

All this was Stalin's special cris: tomorrow-for the higher ond rises the further one falls. contribution 10 palities. In

1917 he was a relatively mmor

member of Lenin's Polliburo ot

A

11

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as Harold Wilson.

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seven: by 1940 he had outlived THE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN NAMED RUTH ELLIS

them all. In 1930 he executed Zinoviev and Kunenev. in 1937 Sokolnikov was given a ten- year sentence from which he has yet to emerge. Bubnov way Backed

and vanished in the sume your. And, of course, in 1040 Trotsky was pursued to Mexico and buteliered with an lee-axe.

Or, again. tuke Stalin's colleagues in his Politburo, after Lenin's death in 1924. Stalin was then one

among 13.

01

these ten were murdered, cem-

mitted suicidle, or vantshext. Moktov

the Inst-and

is

WE SHOULD ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

T

young

London.

Wom

HIS is the story of

named Ruth Ellis. A

By Sir Beverley Baxter, M.P.

from

nobody

Few weeks ago way to Cantdu, but, the cap. was informed by radio these Soviet purges; they struck she was as unknown to the tom

und detretives were waiting on

their own private obscene dc.. lights.

extremely lucky-survivor. For

Wit immune

Every

No doubt they

NO

will change.

their name but the shadow of the gallows will be on their thoughts and will haunt them in their sleep. Then why didn't of that? With respect, I cannot share their mother think

answer to that view. It was

the There is not

can be no at all levels and in every walk world 15 any typist or the Canadian side.

executioner who hanga Ruth question-there of life. Even the executioners,waitress or shop assistant

Two Royal Commissions Ellis-it

was civilised society. answer, have protested against the secret police chiefs, were

these we, the people,

are the mas- is horrible events. This story of Ruth Elis branded as capitulist agents and living her life between her

But why should her children Home ters and none can challenge our be made to suffer the greatest met nasty deaths. Yezhov re-home in Suburbia and her without a drop of human pity Secretary in recent years has authority. On that fateful night cruelty that society can indict placed Yagoda and Berta sup-employment in London. uniese its for society itself. testified to the agonies of his in 1948 when we in Pariament

Yel here is the paradox, The task, and the revulsion he has Now she has joined the campaign to save her from the felt towards his duty. None has immortals: For years to gallows Wils

widespread, ever claimed that

executions income she will be talked passionate, that it involved, prevent murder.

29 I have stated. evca, the fact, to have been remarkably about not merely by French Press, As for the House "Yet they go on, and

still kuactasful In seducing lead-

gossips but by philosophers, of Commons, Communists!

we were bom- Parliament has neither the re- ing

and tele- solve nor the conviction rent

since the war, lawyers, judges, sentimen- barded with letters purges 12 Russian leaders have talists, cynics,, sadists and grams and deputations demand the wit, nor the decency to put

ຕກ, end to these ing the reprieve of this woman untimely deaths. tohistorians.

without a heart.

affairs,

planted Yezhov. And now we are told Berla, 100, was in the "scrylee of

of capitalism." The "enpitalists"

met

seem.

In recur-

The satellite countries there

have been 17 "official" execu-

(unofficial tions can only

On the day before her a) and death in London the French

sceret killings

be guessed

another 38 have been sentenced newspapers let loose 21

ism

were

Cabinet

fale violent bombardment. With

03

DECISION

In

hor

atrocious

Canon

Wide Angle

1:35/26

that

1:28/35

Standard

1:28/50

1:1.8/50

1:15/50

Portrall

suspended capital punishment upon the innocent? we lit a candle that the whole Well, we shall try again. Re- world could see. And when that gardless of party divisions and candle was put out there was party discipline

we who. darkness over the land.

determined to do away with the death penalty-it only for trial period will force another debate. And if we do, it is al most ecrtain that we shall win the day..

1:1.5/85

1:1.9/85

Telephoto

are.

1:3.5/100

1:3-5/135

B

EILLOGICAL

But there is irony in all things. About the same me as Then Great Britain will take "Oscar Wilde, when he was Ruth Els was facing trial A her place with West Germany in Reading Gael, spoke with British Sergeant-Major in Ger- and the other six countries

done away melancholy of that little tent many faced a court martial on which have

with the of blue which prisoners call the the charge that he had murder- this hideous survival trom. sicy,' The tent of blue should be ed a fellow non-commissioned Middle Ages ɛnd we shall march dark and sed at the thing we officer, and later, had married again in step with civilisation, have done this day."

his victim's widow. He, too, 'was sentenced to death, How did sho die?

That is,

to long prison terms-a probably worse than death it rising scorn they declared from hanging

Under Brilish low a reprieve scir. These agents of capital-In England the only pas- granted by Her Majesty

can only

be the well-placed so wel Ministers

Police sion which is respected is Queen acting under the advice Chiefs, Sceretaries-Generat 9 for cricket and gambling." of the Home Secretary. the Party that such skilful So violent was the attack no

other words, the Queen takes how did she comport herself?"

in the decision but no part seduction would have been

British that the

Foreign merely

through remarkable achievement,

the well. Oflice might

formality. have

In fact the decision rests with one man-and one asked our Ambassador in

man alone. And in this case it Puris to make a protest.

was Gwilym Lloyd-George, son of an immortal father,

41

But the real fault of these This slight, good-looking nen was not their imaginary young woman had lived A

mennt

gota

There is no kindlier or more

Perhaps in that little tent of blue that prisoners call the sky But did he hang? Oh no. He we may yet see Christ's Spirit committed

his dreadful crime giving light to the stars Let us hear from Dr Wil- on the soll of West Germany, B in state the medical officer

which has done away | liams, attendance. First he assures us with the death penalty. So he that the execution WOS ex- will live on and, after a term and humanely of years, will be a free man poditiously carried out and death was In- again. stantaneous,

House LUDICROUS

to

Thus, we have the German advancing along the road of civilisation while Britain, America and Canada eing their medieval ştandards, But the good doctor was not content with that comforting But why be illogical about statement. With a lignity that It? If hanging is a deterrent to reaches ludicrous solemnity he murder then why not bring added: "Mrs Ellis was in good back the thumbscrew, the rack health at all times and in a fit and the auto de fe? Why not state of health for execution."

bring back the fres of Spit- feld? If it's deterrents you

ink with the West. They were life that was dogged by human member of the

l Party veterans,

their passion and vanity. She had then Lloyd-George. He and his were expert thugs in their own

wife are a joy to meet, for they right,

two Their eclipse

young

sons, one give out humour, geniality and that they had lost Üle merciless Illegitimate. and WRB sympathy. struggle for power. "Con-divorced by her husband. demned by History," they be

Yet every day, following the came convenient scapegoats for Then she took a lover sentencing of Ruth Ellis, he had the endless economic crises of without undue delay. But gone to his room in the Home Communisin,

passion does not last like Office where the name of Ruth One point is crystal clear

Ells confronted him as the first about these purges.

Zeal for love, and in due course the problem of the day. He can If that does not make the want why be squeamish about the Party's chuse is no lover tired of her and said discuss it with the Judge who

goda laugh on Olympus then it? At least there is something insurance against disaster. Onco that he was going to leave sentenced her, he can talk with there is no humour in them. to be said for torture because. Comrade X finds himself on her.

allenists, he can study every How comforting to know that it suli leaves the condemned the last

known fact about the condemn we, the community,

soul.

losing side,

his pust sterlaces count for nothing.

In the postwar purges there BULLETS

have been two good Inslünces

mean, In 1940

of what

Whereupon. Ruth

Secretary

to

to the

shall live or die.

dici not

his

of

a first cless Therefore let us admit that the cutery to save Ruth Ellis was not wholly logical in view our silence in other cases where murder who committed by a

ed woman but eventually sho hang a woman who was sickly criminal a chisace to save alone must decide, whether sho or suffering from a weak heart

of rhumatic fever. Apparently I want to be sirkelly fair, de- the rope is so fastidious that it spite the fact that I hate, and Moscow was extremely ungry

It is a terrible responsibility. would be reluctant to end Ellis

A denounco the death penalty with Traichin Kostov, former procured a revolver and six No one man should be subject use that was not, in the terms with all my heart and mind.

the of life insurance, ed to such an agony of Bulgarian bullets. Waiting her op spirit. The Judge sentences Party, Kostov. on trial for

olstinctely refused portunity she confronted her to death

and is finished, risk, confess. To show thelt him in the street and with the ease, but he knows that his sentence may be revoked splio the

Russians were not poured bullets into him by the Court of appeal of the content with his Judicial Three of them were when Home Secretary. But for Lity murder. Their propaganda monde he was lying helpless on the George there is no casement of fun of his crippled

the mind or of the spirit Actually this injury had been ground. received, 26 years before-which he attempted cufcide. rathor than betrty his comrades to the police. His reward for this death by purge-with insults added to his injuries,

was

bpek,

is the court of last resort.

At the police station she calmly stated that she sc- SECRECY quired the revolver in order

to kill him. When hor trial

we have

.་

There was, however, a meil of brandy and it seems that the to the hearty breakfast which woman chose. it in preference wornam is usually mentioned in the jar-

gon of judicişi murder.

Let us

BRANDED

Fortunately, wo have the evidence of a second medical

The fact that Ruth Elils was specialist Dr Keith Simpson, a young and pretty woman may the Home Office Pathologist, have roused a latent chivalry After the execution he con- that is no deep in men as life. been ducted a post mortem.

Sir itself. I had a word with rend' bla,” expert and comforting Winston Churchill about it, for

during his terms of office Home Secretary no less than 40 murderers were exocuted. I WARA ho who gave me that figure,

not

words:

o

DARKNESS

་

took place she repeated that friends for years I have

Although statement but pleaded not talked with him about this case guilty to, the charge of mur-, but I have done so with many der. In the circumstances olliers. I did my best, both in Such gratitude is a familiar her counsel did not address, conversation and by letters to reward for dangerous service. the jury and she was duly a reprieve, but nothing that

the newspapers, to try to secure We now know bad this is my sentenced to be hanged, published could compare in second

"There was a fracture ani. Naturally I cannot quote him example that those

alncority or cloquence with dislocation of the spins and but knowing his gallantry and who fought in the Spenish

Then she was taken War

to the what favourite dre

was written by the there was an odour of brandy delicacy of spirit do you doubt women's prison anown as columnist

Cassandra in the in the stomach. There were that as Home Secretory". he earallates for Ilquidation. This was made clear at the Prague that I have tevblond

Holloway, which is on the rond, hard-boiled Dally Mirror. On marks of suspension normally would have been deeply.

n the triplein 1983 and has been sand times and more on rate to wrote in his column,cution apparent, and Injuries propen gushes at having to refuse more recently confirmed by the to my North London con-

to the judicial exocution from reprieve to a young and comoly Wilch, it was clear the,, desJK evidence

of former

Polish stuency. As a building it is à

whe

surrounding her woo Thaintancour police boss Swistto, p

Kolm Burvival of." Victorian exocution shows 1f coingssion **There is a fine Irony in all

Bx Ironic coln-·la poi in us then af loant wo thing 16 was - oyog Spain thailence it

Just by

tive, riili retain tha drem olgaha the Comintern opge lea aochbourhood when Dr Crips The medieval, world witle: propaganda · ésme pen mandato bi who and tion. #IIL Hundreds word recruit acquired immortality by being the palmar

the Internallong

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