Mr MacDonald to M Rakovsky

Foreign Office, October 24 1924

1 I have the honour to invite your attention to the enclosed copy of a letter which has been received by the Central Committee of the British Communist Party from the Presidum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, over the signature of M Zinoviev, its president, dated the 15th September. The letter contains instructions to British subjects to work for the violent overthrow of existing institutions in this country, and for the subversion of His Majesty's armed forces as a means to that end.

2 It is my duty to inform you that His Majesty's government cannot allow this propaganda and must regard it as a direct interference from outside in British affairs.

3 No one who understands the constitution and relationships of the Communist International will doubt its intimate connection and contact with the Soviet Government. No government will ever tolerate an arrangement with a foreign Government by which the latter is in formal diplomatic relations of a correct kind with it, whilst at the same time a propagandist body organically connected with that foreign government encourages and even orders subjects of the former to plot and plan revolutions for its overthrow. Such conduct is not only a grave departure from the rules of international comity, but a violation of specific and solemn undertakings repeatedly given to His Majesty's government …