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Censorship, Surveillance and Suppression of the Radical Russian Community in Brisbane During World War I

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Censorship, Surveillance and Suppression of the Radical Russian Community in Brisbane During World War I RED CRIMINALS : Censorship, surveillance and suppression of the radical Russian community in Brisbane during World War I Author Curtis, Louise Ann Published 2010 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Humanities DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/1203 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365688 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au RED CRIMINALS Censorship, surveillance and suppression of the radical Russian community in Brisbane during World War I Louise Ann Curtis BA(Hons), PGDipEd School of Humanities Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2010 ABSTRACT Keeping Australia safe and protecting the interests of the Commonwealth is the mission of Australia’s intelligence agencies. The collection, analysis and provision of intelligence on domestic and foreign threats to Australia’s security assists the government’s decision-making and underpins policy. During World War I, the potential for monitoring political trends in the domestic population was enhanced through mass postal and cable censorship and surveillance in Australia, the wider British Commonwealth and several other countries. This thesis explores the collection and analysis of intelligence by defence and security agencies during World War I through the case of a group of immigrant activists in Brisbane, the Russian Workers Association (RWA). Taking an historical approach, the aim of the thesis is to explore how the emergence of a coordinated intelligence network is reflected in the data collected on the events and personalities of the Russian group, and in turn how the radicalism of the Russians and the rise of communism shaped the focus of intelligence collection. This work contributes to the substantial body of existing literature on political surveillance and radical organisations in Australia by providing a fuller understanding of the censorship and surveillance processes that led to the suppression of the Russians and how this intelligence focus had longer term impacts on post-war policy. The historical context for this study is the legislative framework established by the Fisher government and expanded under the Hughes government. The War Precautions Act 1914 and War Precautions Regulations were administered by the Department of Defence and greatly empowered its intelligence arm, the Intelligence Section General Staff. Military intelligence was assisted by state police and two new federal agencies, the Special Intelligence Bureau and the Commonwealth Police. In addition to managing Australia’s contribution to the war in Europe, these Regulations set up the parameters for dealing with wartime disloyalty and sedition on the home front. At this time the radicalism of organisations like the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was sweeping through the domestic labour movement. The successes of the Bolsheviks in Russia and the promises of their Soviet revolution also bolstered the ideas promoted by socialist and later communist groups. In response, the Hughes government’s focus on disloyalty and sedition, through the Unlawful Associations Act 1916, set in place restrictions to suppress groups like the RWA. This study draws on documents created by state and federal agencies and the radical Russian community in Brisbane. The most significant and voluminous intelligence collection tool of the i Abstract Great War was postal and cable censorship. From these sources alone, 846 censors’ reports relevant to the RWA were identified for this study through a comprehensive survey of all reports from Queensland between 1915 and 1919, and selected reports from New South Wales and Victoria in 1918 and 1919. These reports are complemented by analysis of selected correspondence and subject files produced by state and federal agencies responsible for monitoring subversive groups. This primary material is also contextualised by secondary literature which deals with political surveillance and radical organisations in Australia and the United Kingdom. The thesis begins by describing the historical context which surrounded the intelligence agencies that safeguarded the World War I home front, and introducing the story of the Russians in Brisbane. Chapter 1 focuses on the RWA and reconstructs the origins and development of the radical identity that made it an object of government interest. Chapter 2 examines the historical context for the development of the intelligence agencies. The final chapters form the narrative core of the thesis. Chapter 3 traces early Queensland state government correspondence and police reports on the Russian community centred in South Brisbane, and explores discussions at state and federal levels on how best to manage the group. Chapters 4 and 5 examine the intelligence collected through censorship and surveillance, and how the intelligence agencies analysed and distributed this information. Through this process the agencies determined which members of the RWA were subversive, disloyal or seditious. The voices of the Russians and the censors in these records reveal wartime intelligence at the grassroots level. ii Statement of originality This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. Louise Curtis iii CONTENTS Abstract i Statement of originality iii List of tables vi List of abbreviations vi Statement acknowledging assistance received vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 The Russian community in Brisbane 13 Chapter 2 Wartime legislation and federal agencies 56 Chapter 3 Early intelligence on the Russian community 96 Chapter 4 Mapping cases for suppression 125 Chapter 5 The end of the war 170 Conclusion 209 Bibliography 215 List of tables Table 1.1: Relevant censors’ reports systematically surveyed 11 Table 3.1: First Military District, Queensland by report type 1915–1917 108 Table 4.1: First Military District, Queensland by report type 1918–1919 126 Table 4.2: Second Military District, New South Wales by report type 1918 126 Table 4.3: Third Military District, Victoria by report type 1918–1919 126 List of abbreviations ALP Australian Labor Party AWA Australian Workers Association AWU Australian Workers Union CPA Communist Party of Australia ILP Independent Labour Party ISGS Intelligence Section General Staff (military intelligence) IWW Industrial Workers of the World MD Military District MF Third Military District censors’ reports, Victoria NAA National Archives of Australia RE Second Military District censors’ reports, New South Wales RSL Returned and Services League RSSILA Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia RWA Russian Workers Association OBU One Big Union (also OBUPL One Big Union Propaganda League) Q/QF/QS First Military District censors’ reports, Queensland QRU Queensland Railway Union QSA Queensland State Archives SIB Special Intelligence Bureau UFL United Federation of Labour WWI World War I (also known as the Great War) vi Statement acknowledging assistance received My first thanks go to my supervisors Prof Mark Finnane and Dr Belinda McKay. I am much indebted to both of you for your guidance, enthusiasm and patience. You are genuine mentors who allow postgraduate students to develop and succeed (and survive the stress of doing a PhD). I am indebted to the scholarly advice of others, namely Prof Wayne Hudson, Dr John Ainsworth, Dr John McNair, Dr Lyndall Morgan, Dr Kevin Windle, Eric Fried, Elena Volkova, Prof Raymond Evans and Prof Ann Curthoys. Thank you to the many Griffith University staff who helped me organise my thoughts, particularly Dr Jonathan Richards and Dr Amedeo Tosco. The exceptional teaching of my former supervisor at the University of Queensland, Dr Tom Poole, inspired me to pursue postgraduate study. Great appreciation goes to the dedicated staff in a number of institutions including the Griffith University libraries, University of Queensland libraries, National Library of Australia, Queensland State Archives and National Archives of Australia. I would also like to acknowledge the official support that I received from my employer, the National Archives of Australia. Dr Joe Straczek from the Department of Defence kindly facilitated official access to records. Thank you to the friends and family who shared the journey of this thesis with me. Most importantly, the love, encouragement and insight of my mother, Janice Shirreff, continue to provide me with opportunities to study and explore life. The support and camaraderie I received from Dr Yorick Smaal will stay with me for a lifetime. Dr Daniela di Piramo, Dr Angela Wardell- Johnson and Dr Gemma Betros relentlessly challenged me to continue to step up to the mark with my PhD. Dr Bronwyn Ellis, Gabrielle Brown, Akiko Yamasaki, Maaike de Beer, Rebecca Frew, Merilyn Minell, Damian Vella, Tatiana Antsoupova and many others provided much-needed friendly support. Peter O’Donnell (soon to be Dr) inspired me and transformed my life. He patiently proofread and edited my thesis and coaxed me through the corrections. His love, support and considerable help with the final stages of this work were invaluable. vii Work published in the course of research and preparation of the thesis ‘A Case for Suppression: An examination
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