SIR BASIL THOMSON

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 143, 14 December 1922, Page 12

SIR BASIL THOMSON

GREAT CRIMINOLOGIST IN

AMERICA

CHECKING BOLSHEVISTIC PROPAGANDA.

. Sir Basil Thompson, England's great criminologi^t, visited New York during October, ,and gave several lectures dealing with his experiences at Scotland. Yard, and the capture of German spies during the Great Wai". Speaking of his week spent in. New York to a "Times" representative, Sir Basil said he had devoted much, study' to' the work of the Police Department in America, and had been greatly impressed by its efficency. "The New York police," lie said ? "is an admirable body of men, splendidly managed and wonderfully trained, and fully deserves the title of 'The-Finest.' I have paid a great deal of attention to the management of the street traffic. Owing to the vast* number of automobiles herg/ which even outnumber London's,- New York certainly has a gigantic task in preventing congestion while also attempting to lessen street accidents. All great cities, New. York included, are striving to solvte this problem, and experience will undoubtedly bring about many improvements. In the meantime, I think that New York'-s traffic.is being managed wondierfully well."

While at the head of Scotland Yard, Sir Basil Thomson did much to prevent the spread of Bolshevism in England by checking the activities of .Russian emissaries who managed to enter the country. Although a certain element in the British Labour Party has become infected with Bolshevist principles, Sir Basil does not belieVe this is true of the larger proportion of British. working men and theirpresentleaders.

"I am convinced," he saiA. "that 'Arthur Henderson, J. H. Thomas, and other Labour leaders of the more conservative type have no ■ sympathy whatever with the Reds, and are, in fact, very much afraid of them. They don't dare, however, to make open war on the Reds .because they.might be ousted from their leadership by the radicals in the Labour Party, who are fairly numerous and extremely, active.

"Bolshevism in England has, declined somewhat of late, owing, I believe, to the objtect lesson furnished by Russia, and by the Buffering there. At' one time It seemed'as if Bolshevism might 6Weep the British. Labour Party. In the early par!; of 1-919, for instancy, Soviets were formed in England, the radicals wavedthe red flag at their meetings, and sang the Internationale. That sentiment lias greatly subsided.

"While the dangers of ".Bolshevism in England are apt'to be exaggerated, they were undoubtedly much underestimated by public men. Toward the end of. the war, when we knew that Russian emissaries were getting into England and negotiating with the radical wing of the Labour Party, I said to the late Lord Northcliffe: 'Why don't; you mobilise your newspapers against Bolshevism?' His^eply was that all fears of Bolshevism'were unfounded. 'After the war,' he said, 'there will be such a great business boom that every worker will be employed at high wages, and the labouring -people won't have time to thinjc about- Bolshevism.'

"In common with many other men, Lord Nbrthcliffe was convinced that a new era was about to dawn in England. When he came • back from visiting the front hp said that when the men . returned to England they would demand and would get much better working con- - ditions; there would be, a general reign of prosperity in which all would share. Another public man, who expressed similar views., said: 'We must make England a land fit for heroes to li\<e in.' lj> this a scoffing critii retorted: 'Why, even as it is, only heroes can live in it.' In spite of these optimistio views, there-wac. t no great*ton of prosperity and the workers were disappointed. Bolshevism undoubtedly made- some headway as the result of this' discon.tent. Krassin, the principal representative of the Soviet Government in England, did not take any ijart' in these activities, but his assistant, Klishko, who Tvas ar agent for the Cheka, did much .to assist them. We discovered these and' many other facts, and as the result of our investigations a number of Bolshevist emissaries were deported." With regard to crime in' England, Sir Basil said there was a complete record of all crimes which had been committed since 1873;. During the war all kinds of crime except bigamy decreased 90 per cent. The ■prisons were empty and sixteen .prisons were closed. 'At the .present tinie, he said, there are from £099 to 11-000 in -orisons, compared with 20,000 in 1898. This ,he said, was due not only to the fact that drink was dearer than before the war, and the hours for its- sale restricted, but also to the probation of first offenders and the extension of time .granted for the payment of fines.

Sir Basil said he was glad to notice that robbery with violence was diaiin- \ S%S? n iD En Slandv There are nearly 1,000,000 .-people out of work, he said, but conditions are improving.