Just back from a big Labour banquet. It was arranged by Hicks to mark the construction of the new building of the union. Up to 350 guests were present, including Lansbury, Morrison, Citrine and other Labour notables. Agniya and I were the only foreigners. As befits a faint-hearted reformist, Hicks invited me to the banquet, but handled it clumsily. To start with, my name was printed ‘Ivan Maisky’ in the seating plan, without reference to my ambassadorial rank. Then, naming all and sundry in his welcoming speech, Hicks ‘forgot’ a minor trifle – the presence in the hall of a Soviet representative. Agniya, in line with her temperament, unleashed her indignation on her neighbour Clynes. As I later learned, Walkden,

A.G. Walkden, general secretary of the National Association of General Railway Clerks, 1906–36.

secretary of the clerks’ union, immediately sent Hicks a note protesting about the chairman’s incomprehensible behaviour. As a result, Hicks announced my presence in his second speech, and this elicited a round of applause. Clynes spoke and said a few heartfelt words about the USSR and my presence at the banquet. There was another burst of applause. Lansbury spoke, too. He took issue with the prince of Wales and suggested that those in power go not only to Berlin, but also to Moscow. This, too, was followed by a storm of applause in our direction. In general, the mood at the banquet was obviously pro-Soviet, and Hicks was taught a good lesson.

At the banquet, Lansbury related to me the following details about the 1907 Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) congress. One morning he received a telephone call from Fells, the owner of Sunlight Soap, asking him to come over. Lansbury and Fells were friends (J. Keir Hardie

James Keir Hardie, founder of the Labour Party. Formed the Scottish Labour Party in 1888; Labour Representation Committee in 1900, changing its name to the Labour Party in 1906. Resigned as leader of the Labour Party in 1908.

was also on friendly terms with Fells), and Fells often consulted with him on various matters. When Lansbury came into his office, Fells told him that Brailsford had asked him to lend 2,500 pounds to the Russian Social Democrats, who were holding their congress in London and didn’t have the money to return home. Fells was unsure and asked Lansbury for his advice. Lansbury said that the Russians should be supported. Fells was still hesitant. Lansbury suggested that they should attend the congress and speak to the participants. Fells agreed. Lansbury does not remember whom they saw and spoke to at the congress, which was held in the Brotherhood Church, but afterwards Fells decided to give the money. The only thing he requested was an ‘acknowledgement of debt’ signed by all congress participants. This was done; moreover, it was declared in the letter that the RSDLP would return the money to Fells in the event of the revolution succeeding. When Krasin arrived in London in 1921, he asked his first secretary, Klyshko,

Nikolai Klementevich Klyshko, Soviet ambassador in Estonia, 1920–21; head of the export department of the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Trade, 1923–37. Arrested on charges of terrorism and shot in 1937; later rehabilitated.

to find Fells. Fells had since died, but his widow lived in England. Krasin, on behalf of the Soviet government, paid back the money lent in 1907 and asked in return for the paper acknowledging the debt of the 5th Congress. Lansbury was greatly moved by the old story and repeated several times that it was a unique episode in the history of the world labour movement. Incidentally, Lansbury told me that Fells was a Polish Jew by origin.