John Gollan - David

Gollan, John (b. April 2, 1911, Edinburgh - d. Sept. 5, 1977, London), British politician. At the age of 16 he joined the Communist Party of Great Britain and at the age of 20 he was accused of sedition and incitement to mutiny for distributing an anti-militarist paper to soldiers and sent to prison for six months. When he was freed in 1932 he entered the full-time service of the party. First he edited the Young Worker, then became general secretary of the Young Communist League. He became party secretary for the northeast coast in 1939 and for Scotland in 1941. A few years after World War II was over, he left Scotland to take up national office in London. For five years he was assistant editor of the Daily Worker (later the Morning Star) before succeeding Harry Pollitt as party general secretary (1956-75). When he took over, the party was having to explain to its adherents the exposure of Stalin by the Soviet leaders, and scarcely was he settled in office when Soviet repression of the Hungarian uprising aroused new agonies of doubt among loyal members. Within two years the party lost nearly a quarter of its membership, including many of its intellectuals. By patient and persistent effort, he succeeded in restoring the membership from 25,000 to a little over 30,000, but the bitter division between the Soviets and Chinese was a constant source of difficulty. In 1968 he deplored the Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia, which he described as "a tragic error" and "completely unjustified." The British party was among those which refused to sign the main document which emerged from the conference of Communist parties in Moscow in 1969.

The Scotsman - Saturday, 18th July 1931, page 11

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« INCTTlNG v , TO ' -MOTENY ^ : Edinburgh Case Result SENTENCED TO PRISON "

CONSIDEBABLB interest was shown in, the irial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court ' yesterday, of John. Gol!an, ; aged-20 years, on. a charge of handing.to two iroWor&.in " tljojiff/islh Lflncers/ ^ Btationerl at Retl/orcl, Barfacks, ' 'Edinburgh, pdmphlots with contents .likely ..jo. cau.se.\ sedition. -or disaffection among the members-of ihb:rcgiment, and to geduce them-:frbm'- 'their. 'allegiance-; or incite them to acts of ' mutiny,' ' ;'; ",r. :; "' ; -' , ¦ -:/' " ' v '-' A' fow'days ago'GoIlan's friends m tho National Unemployed '.Workers' " niovement in the city sent a petitibn/'signed.iby- about 2000 sympathisers, to tho Crown authorities asking for the withdrawal of tho chargo against gollan, and requesting that full political rights be granted to all soldiers. The Lore! Advocate intimated that ho COllld not BOO his way clear to interveno in tho case. ¦ Tho public seats in tho Court wero filled. Mr N. L. Walker, Sheriff Court Advocate-Depute , conducted tho caso for the Crown, and gollan conducted his own defence, though.Sheriff Brown stated that an agent would be present to give him advice if lie needed it. . Trooper Edward Taskor, the first witness, said that on May 9 ho was standing in Waterloo Placo with Trooper IDrio Austin, when two men came up to them. Witness was handed a paper by one of the men who said, " Read this." Witness recognised gollan as tho man who handed him tho paper. Witness saw tho paper was headed "The Soldier's Voice." . Witness read a. few words, and then handcel the paper to tho military police, who camo on tho ucenc. The civil police were called and gollan was detained. .. ' . ':¦ : In cross-examination fay Goifan, ; ;withess gaid accused had dono nothing but hand him the pamphlet. Ho thought it was Jiis duty to hand over tho pamphlet to the military police; Mr Walker then road a portion of the paper quoting iho unemployment figures and stating that soldiers might ask-"What tho hell has that got to do with us ? " Tho paper reminded the soldiers that unemployment had a great deal to do with them, as when their service in the Army expired, they, loo, would be unemployed. . " When we realise this," the paper added, " it will hot taka long also to realise the need for overthrowing the rule of. this country as tho Russians , did and establishing a'system of: Socialism." ' ,, . Trooper Austin, the second' witness,.corroborated Taskcr's evidence, and in reply to a'cjnosfcion' by gollanias {o.>vliether,he-illoj)gl}l. the pamphlot W88 seditious, said somo feflbfre had told'hiin that if young soldiers got hold of it, they sometimes ran away. SOLDIERS AND RUSSIA Mr Walker read a portion of the pamphlet stating that in tho event of war with Eussia British soldiers should nob fight tho Soviet " workers, but fig-ht'for the establishment of Soviet regime in this country. "'" ¦ Sergeant Baker of the military police also corroborated , and, whea cross-examined by ^ gollan ai to.his opinion, of iho,paper ho, ; said the could not vory well.-express , his opinion. (Laughter.) "He did not, think that it should bo allowed to bs printed. It was not fife to bo published'and distributed among troops. It mig ht cause mutiny.-gollan-Do you know how the Russian workers overthrew the- Russian Government 1-No, and I don't want to know. (Loud laughter.) Police-Constable Hill,- when cross-examined by gollan, said the Edinburgh poiico had been on Ihs lookout for men distributing euoh pamphlets as tho ono submitted-in evidence. ' They had been warned that any person found distributing such pamphlets to members oE His Majesty's forces should be detained. ' ' . Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant Smith, of tho 16/5th Lancers, had several passages in the pamphlet read to him. Questioned on tka general effect of tho pamphlet on young; soldiers who read it, Quartermaster-Sergeant Smith said it was an incitement to rise against authority. gollan asked several questions, to which witness replied, "I havo answered that alroady," Finally witness said to gollan, " You are merely wasting timo." gollan sat down.-Mr Walker, in a short address to the jury,-submitted that it was clearly proved that accused had committed the acts set forth in the indictment . When Golkn remdA«d that tho charge had boon preferred ag-ainsfc him not by two troopers but by higher authorities, thero was applause in. the Court. Tho outburst, however, was speedily suppressed . gollan addressed the jury for an hour and a ¦ ¦¦ half. ¦ - . Following Sheriff Brown's summing-up, the jury returned after an absenco of an hour, and the foreman .intimated that they found gollan guilty of the charg& as libelled, with tho omission of the words " sedition or." . ' ; Sheriff Brown then passed sentence of sis months' imprisonment on gollan, who is 20 years ' of age. There- was a stir in Court when the verdict was intimated, but no sign of a disturbance.

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The Scotsman - Wednesday, 8th June 1938, page 12

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AN OFFENSIVE PLANNED 4 To Link Up Government Spain EDINBURGH INTERVIEW

That the Spanish Government was preparing plans for a large-scale offensive to link up again the two sections of Government territory was stated by Mr John gollan, who has recently returned from Spain, in an interview with a representative of The Scotsman in Edinburgh yesterday. Mr' gollan said that the Government had never been stronger than it was at present. That was the impression which he got a£ter a sixteen days visitspent in Catalonia. The authority of the Government was strong, and the improved supplies of armaments manufactured in their factories were a source of increased confidence. There was a great resurgence of Catalan national spirit, roused by the invasion of the province. The food situation was difficult, but its organisation was well in hand. Barcelona was now much better protected by anti-aircraft guns and fighter 'planes than it had ever beensaid Mr gollan. The day he arrived at Barcelona there were three air raids over the townbut none o£ the Franco aeroplanes was able to reach the centre of the city, such was the strength o£ the defence. While Barcelona was better protected against air raidsthe smaller places were not so fortunate. When Franco's 'planes did not get through to Barcelona, they flew away, and dropped their bombs where there were no defences. In most of the bigger towns, however, there were refuge shelters 40 feet, Hpen. with rnnrrotp rnnfs. A SUBMARINE POST Symbolic of the efficient organisation in Government Spain, he said, was the system of communications linking the two sections of its territory. Anyone living in Barcelona scarcely had the impression that Catalonia was separated from the rest of Government Spain. Steamers maintained a regular daily service between Barcelona and Valencia, and scheduled times were possibleas they were convoyed by ships 6 " f the Government Navy. In addition, a submarine postal service had now been inaugurated to carry letters between Barcelona and Valencia. There was regular air communication with Madrid. Asked i£ he had heard any rumours of dissension among General Franco's forces, Mr gollan said there were suggestions to support that contention. Government officials had told him that they expected an enormous increase in guerrilla warfare in Franco territoryalthough they would not give any details. Discussing the International Brigade, Mr gollan said that the British Battalion now consisted of about 450 British and 250 Spanish. It was now the practice to supplement the foreign sections of the Brigade with Spanish soldiers. He had met Councillor Thomas Murray, Edinburgh, who was serving as a soldier. ' He had just completed his training, and was waiting to go into action at Tarrega, near Lerida. In the First Brigade there was a total o£ about 800-Americans, MANUFACTURING ARMAMENTS Catalonia, said Mr gollan, was now manufacturing a fair amount of war materials. The difficulty was quantity. They could not get enough. Indicating how the country was adapting itself to war conditionshe said that a factory which formerly manufactured sewing machines was now making ammunition . It was turning out about 150.000 rounds a day. The work was done by girls, with a few engineers in charge. Mr gollan said in conclusion that there was considerable optimism in Government Spain. The suggestion made a few months ago by General Franco that the war was nearly over was laughed-at. Discipline was excellentand they were in good heart. Mr gollan, who formerly li'-ed in Edinburfih . is now in London.

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The Scotsman - Thursday, 20th August 1931, page 8

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DISAFFECTION -»-Edinburgh Appeal Dismissed COMMUNIST PAMPHLETS

The Scottish Court of Criminal Appeal, at : sitting - in Edinburgh, yesterday, dismissed th< appeal of a young man named John gollan again? a conviction and sentence recorded against him ii Edinburgh Sheriff Court on July 17 for handinj to soldiers pamphlets likely to cause disaffection. gollan was tried before Sheriff Brown, K.C., and a jury on a charge that on May 9, 1931, in Waterloo Place. Edinburgh, lie, acting in concert with a man unknown, handed to Edward Taskei and Eric Austin, troopers in the Lancers, and then in uniform and serving in His Majesty ' s Ami} and stationed at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, two printed pamphlets, each entitled "The Soldier's Voice," " Organ of Communist Soldiers," containing words or language likely to cause sedition or disaffection among the members o£ the regiment. The jury found gollan guilty of the charge except in respect to sedition, and Sheriff Brown sentenced him to six months' imprisonment. gollan was subsequently released on £30 bail pending the kearinw of his appoal. Tho Lord Justice-General (Lord Clyde) presided. Hid the Court also consisted of Lords Fleming and Pitman. Jfr John Cameron and Mr X. "it. Tj. Walker. idvooatCa-Depute, appeared for the Crown, and Mr G. R. Thomson, Advocate, for the appellant. PA1IPHLET3 GIVEN TO SOLDIERS Stating- the facrs of the case, Mr'Thomson saf< Colkn u-as a painter ' s apprentice, 20 year? o ago, and since 1927 ho had been connected ivitl a Communist organisation. In company with an other man, ho had handed a pamphlet to each o: two troopers in the Lancers. Two military police men came along, and the other man dec^nped The civil police were sent for, and accused \\u apprehended. At the trial, coiinsel stated, the jury, afrei having retired, returned to Court, and the fore man said thero was a question wliicli had been exercising the minds of the jury as to whether they could bring ii verdict that the pamphletwere likely to cause disaffection rather than being seditious. The Sheriff said they were entitled to do that. The jury then found the accused guilty of circulating pamphlets which wero Iikelv to cause disaffection. Counsel maintained that ifc was no crime at all to circulate pamphlets likely to cause disaffection . It there wasji crime acainit the State, it- was the crime of sedition, but that wa= a crime ivhich the jury had negatived. They had indi-? ated perfectly clearly that they did " not regard rhe actions of accused as amounting to sedition. If the indictment had said nothing about dislffeetion , he presumed that the jury would have jrnught in a verdict of not puiltv. Tho Lord Justice-General remarked that, frankly, if ho had been on the jury ho would have ^referred tho words " to cause disaffection." In support of his argument, counsel quoted a ase arising out of the Chartist prosecutions in .848, but said that- he had not been able to (ii?- :overanything which was quite like the present ase in the wav of authority. Mr Thomson further contended that a spnfcncr of six months' imprisonment passed on a boy ol Z0 during a period of political anr! ?ocfa[ stability like, tho present was an exorbitant sentence. One had, ho thought, to go back over .1 century to find a sentence of equal severity in a case of that kind. Personally, ho would have thought that a line or a very lengthv period of probation would have been a thoroughly adequate sentence. He could not imagine a case in which probation could have been more usefully emplovcd. FOR THE CROWX On behalf of the Crown, Jlr Cameron submittec that what was known as sedition, was reallv a com pendious name for a very wide tract of offences which had never been defined with any limitinf precision, hue- must depend upon.the cirt-umstanet-; of each case and each indictment. In any event, there- was inherent in the Court the power tc punish anything ivhich, although perhaps tmiqiu: and unprecedented, seemed to tho Court to be ol ti. criminal character. The jury did not, by their verdict, as had boon suggested, negative tho crime of sedition. The jury, by their verdict, had varied the facts upon which the ehargo had been libelled, and all they Iiad done was to say that the pamphlets which the accused was found to have distributed con' ained words or language likely to cause certain :onsc(]iicnces. In his submission, it was quite clear hat what the accused was found to have done was in itself sedition. THE WORD " SEDITION" " The Lord Justice-General, in giving his judg ment, said the appeal was one that had behind i no hope at all. The substance of the argument 01 behalf of the appeal had turned upon the use o the word " sedition " in the indictment as describ ing one of the two probable or calculated object: of the dissemination of the pamphlets. Tin rharue would have been exactly the same if th< words '" sedition or " had never been in the indictment , and when he said that, lie meant iliac ii would have been in cither case a charge of sedition against the accused-neither more nor less. His Lordship had no doubt whatever that the cir-(' Illation of pamp hlets or othenmc tampering- witl: IIlS MajCSt5' ~ 5 EOKliers, ^W> the object of cnuslii" them to disobey their officers, was a crime according to the common law of Scotland. The jury, in making the preference they did. had done nothing whatever to injure or affect the quality of their conviction. Dealing with the appeal against the length of the sentence. Lord CJyde said sis: months ivas not n heavy sentence. While it was true that many violent and foolish things mijrht be said by agitators , political and otherwise, to do anything to tamper with the loyalty of His Majesty ' s Forces was a verv serious crime indeed. Ho thought that tho Sheriff had been rather moved by the youth if the appellant, and naturally that made an appeal o his Lordship. But there was little that could )e done in the way of reduction of a sentence so ¦malt which would be material, and. on the whole. 10 saw no reason whatever for interfering with ;ho discrrfion o£ the Sheriff in file n}atter. Lords Fleming and Pitman concurred, and the ippcal was accordingly dismissed. The Court, in answer to an application by Sir Thomson, agreed that the ton days already served by gollan should stand as part of his sentence.

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	Name	1911
1	John Gollan (1911-1977)	m
2	Mary Jane Dunn (1885-)	m
3	Duncan Gollan (~1880-)	m
4	John Dunn (~1850-)	m
5	Margaret Cuthbert (~1850-)	m

Generation 1
[1.01 2] John Gollan (1911-1977)
Generation 2
[1.02 3] Duncan Gollan (~1880-)
[2.01 4] Mary Jane Dunn (1885-)
Generation 3
[1.03 5] William Gollan (1856-<1911)
[2.02* ] John Dunn (~1850-)
[3.01 6] Isabella Ritchie (1860-<1901)
[4.01* ] Margaret Cuthbert (~1850-)
Generation 4
[1.04* ] Donald Gollan (~1808-1877)
[3.02* ] William Ritchie (~1825-<1879)
[5.01* ] Janet Burns (1802-1883)
[6.01* ] Ann Maxwell (~1825-<1879)