Ben Greene facts for kids

Ben Greene (born December 28, 1901 – died October 1978) was a British politician from the Labour Party. He was a strong believer in pacifism, which means he was against war. During the Second World War, he was held in prison because he was thought to have links with fascist groups. He tried to challenge his imprisonment in a famous court case called Liversidge v. Anderson. However, the court decided that the government had the power to make such decisions for national safety during wartime.

Early Life and Beliefs

Ben Greene was born in Brazil in 1901. His family moved to England in 1908. He went to Berkhamsted School, where his uncle was the headmaster. His famous cousins, Graham Greene and Hugh Greene, also went to the same school.

Ben Greene later attended Wadham College, Oxford, but he left before finishing his degree. He became very interested in the ideas of the Labour Party and the Society of Friends (also known as Quakers), who are known for their peaceful beliefs. Until 1923, he worked to help people in Eastern Europe. He worked with the Society of Friends, the Save the Children Fund, and the American Relief Administration.

Ben Greene's main reason for getting into politics was his strong belief in pacifism. He returned to London and helped Clement Attlee during the 1923 United Kingdom general election. In 1924, Greene joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP). He tried to become a Member of Parliament for Basingstoke in the 1924 United Kingdom general election, but he did not win. He often felt that the Labour Party's ideas did not always match his peaceful views.

In 1925, Ben Greene got married and became a businessman. He also served on local councils, like the Berkhamsted Urban District Council and Hertfordshire County Council. In 1937, he became a Justice of the Peace (JP), which meant he could help with legal matters in his local area. He tried to win a seat in Parliament for Gravesend in 1931 and 1935, but he was not successful. He also continued his work helping people in the Saar region and Germany. By 1938, he felt disappointed with the Labour Party and left it.

Seeking Peace and Troubling Friends

Ben Greene was very worried about the situation in Germany. He thought that Britain should work with German officials to help as many threatened Germans as possible leave the country. However, he met a German diplomat named Ernst Wilhelm Bohle, who was a Nazi. Bohle took advantage of Greene's trusting nature.

Greene briefly joined the Peace Pledge Union, a group that promoted peace. He also started a group called the Peace and Progress Information Service (PPIS). Through this group, he published information that Bohle gave him. Ben Greene wanted to connect with anyone who was against war, even if they had extreme views. He even joined a group called the British Peoples Party (BPP) and became its treasurer.

In December 1939, Greene helped write a book for the BPP called The Truth About the War. Clement Attlee, a future Prime Minister, saw the book and was very concerned by its anti-war message and its claims that Poland was responsible for its own problems. Greene often spoke at anti-war meetings.

Being Held During the War

In early 1940, a local official named Lord Hampden asked MI5, the British security service, about Ben Greene's suitability as a Justice of the Peace. MI5 did not have enough evidence to remove him at that time. However, another official, Vernon Kell, wanted action against the BPP. He specifically wanted Greene and another person, John Beckett, to be held under a special wartime rule called Defence Regulation 18B.

An order to hold Greene was signed on May 22, 1940, because of his "hostile associations." He was arrested on May 24. The reasons given for his arrest included his membership in the BPP and another group, his speeches, his connection with Beckett, and his communications with the German government. It was also claimed that he wanted to set up a National Socialist government in Britain with Germany's help and had hidden German agents.

More specific details showed that these claims came from an MI5 agent named Harold Kurtz. Kurtz pretended to be a German agent who had just been released from prison in Britain. Kurtz tricked Greene, with another MI5 agent as a witness. Kurtz claimed that Greene had helped him avoid being held again and secretly talk with Germany. He also said Greene told him ways to leave the country without being caught. Kurtz also claimed Greene said there were "men in this country ready to take over the government after a German victory."

Greene said these claims were not true. He stated that he had reported Kurtz's suspicious behavior to the police, but the police denied his claim.

Challenging His Imprisonment

Ben Greene challenged his imprisonment at a special committee called the Advisory Committee on July 24. The committee wanted to hear from the MI5 agents who made the claims, but MI5 refused to let them attend. The committee accepted the agents' statements as mostly true, and Greene's imprisonment was confirmed.

On October 10, Greene was told that he would be removed as a Justice of the Peace, though he was offered the chance to resign. He was officially removed on November 8.

Greene's Legal Appeal

Greene's brother, Edmund, sought legal help from Oswald Hickson. Hickson wrote to the Advisory Committee, saying that the reasons for Greene's arrest did not give enough details about who made the claims against him. The committee ignored Hickson's request. So, Hickson asked the court for a special order called a habeas corpus, which asks why a person is being held.

The court heard the request on May 21, 1941. Greene represented himself. The court rejected his request but was concerned about some mistakes in the arrest order. It also suggested that Greene's case should be heard again.

Greene then appealed to the Court of Appeal. Meanwhile, the government reissued the arrest order and the reasons, now naming Kurtz and Gaertner as the sources of the claims. The appeal was heard in July. The court rejected the appeal, saying it could not question the Home Secretary's decision if it was made honestly.

Greene then appealed to the highest court, the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords. His case was combined with another prisoner's case, Robert Liversidge. The case was known as Liversidge v. Anderson. On November 3, the House of Lords upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal. This meant the court would not interfere with the government's decisions on national security during wartime.

Second Review and Release

A second hearing by the Advisory Committee took place in November. This time, the committee decided that Kurtz's claims were not reliable. They accepted Greene's promise not to get in the way of the war effort and to avoid contact with certain people. Ben Greene's imprisonment order was canceled on January 9, 1942, and he was released.

Later Life

After his release, Ben Greene continued to be involved in right-wing politics. He left the BPP and formed a new group called the English Nationalist Association.