17 SEPTEMBER 1948, Page 5

A very interesting document has just reached me—a list of

soo leading Communists in countries of the Eastern hemisphere, other than Russia, compiled by a sub-committee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives at Washington. Since curiosity has this in common with charity, that it begins at home, I turned naturally to the United Kingdom entry. This country, regrettable to say, produces no more than 25 leading Com- munists. Messrs. Gallacher and Piratin are, of course, among them, with the editor of the Daily Worker and his wife, Harry Pollitt and Professor J. B. S. Haldane. But there are other entries of greater interest. Fellow personalities in the portrait gallery are Ted Bramley, "son of a former charwoman at the Russian Embassy," and C. G. T. Giles, Eton and King's, Headmaster of Acton County School. Of A. L. Horner, the miners' leader, it is recorded that he was a lay preacher at 16 and subsequently (or so it seems) attended the Baptist Training College, Birmingham. The non-appearance of the Dean of Canterbury is a little perplexing. Surely membership of the Board of the Daily Worker is sufficient proof of true-red loyalty.