Justice January 1913
In Justice , p.5, January 18 1913, under the title of “B.S.P. In East London,” Hyndman at Mile End” there is the report of a meeting at the Pavilion Theatre, part of which, runs as follows: –
Fineberg[1] followed in similar strain, and, addressing himself particularly to his Jewish fellow-workers, argued that the Samuels, the Rothschilds, the Montagus, and all the rest of his “brothers in Israel,” were not really Jews to the Jewish worker. They were members of the master class and the workers must organise to fight them through their trade unions for industrial betterment, and through the British Socialist Party for the gaining of political power. It was idiotic for the dockers of Poplar to strike against Lord Devonport and then to vote for Lord Devonport’s boss, Mr. Sydney Buxton.
Mr. Joseph (chairman of the Ladies’ Tailors (Union) made an eloquent appeal, in Yiddish, for political class solidarity.
1. Joe Fineberg/Feinberg (1886-1957), born in Poland, was a very active member of the B.S.P. who lived in Hackney and went to Russia in July 1918 where he worked as a translator. He translated Lenin’s “What Is To Be Done” in 1929, basis of all 20th century English editions, and the 1935 official edition of “Left-Wing Communism.” He also translated Stalin’s Selected Works 1933-34 and a whole number of war-time patriotic pamphlets/books for the English speaking world. His Security Service file in the national Archives is KV 2/780. Note by transcriber Ted Crawford.