Beaten But Not Defeated by Merilyn Moos

Author:Merilyn Moos [Moos, Merilyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-78279-676-3
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Published: 2014-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

1934-1938 Siegi’s status as a refugee

Thanks to the MI5 files, partly confirmed by Siegi’s correspondence, a limited record of Siegi’s other activities during this period exist. MI5 kept records on all refugees entering the UK, through initial registration at the port of entry – as appears the case with Siegi, when they registered at Bow Street, by observing them in demonstrations (Edith Tudor-Hart, who will feature again, was picked up this way) or through MI5 agents (Brinson and Dove, 2014). Siegi – and Lotte – had reason to be anxious about being watched and the possibility of expulsion if they broke the known and less known rules.162

The Home Office was indeed playing a game of ‘cat and mouse’ with him (just as with Reimann). Siegi, who was not sponsored through the Jewish community but by the ILP MP, Maxton, had to apply for the right to remain in the UK every three months. According to his MI5 records, which we shall assume here are reliable, Siegi, who arrived here in the February, applied for permission to stay till 19.5.35, then was granted permission to stay till 15.9.35, then reapplied again for permission to stay till 31.12.35 (only granted on the 26. 9. 35) and then reapplied again. Each re-application had to be cleared by both the Home office and MI5 on each occasion. That alone would make for a sense of insecurity (and we can also assume that he knew what had happened to people who had returned to Germany). Moreover, these extensions were far from automatic. Siegi and Lotte’s letters to each other - for they were living apart regularly during this period - are full of angst.

Siegi became a part-time student of Economics at the LSE between April 1934 and April 35.163 He worked his way from doing research work for Gayer there to being appointed as a Research Assistant, where he worked on trade cycles. In 1936, he got a job with The New York Times, a job he lost because of the refusal of the Ministry of Labour to renew his work permit (letter from L. Wohlfell, NY Times, 20.10.36, in personal possession).

Siegi’s job at the New York Times had to be revoked because of the problems he was having with work and residence permits. There is an open reference from the NY Times, 20.10. 1936 which states: ‘The only reason we are dispensing with Mr Moos’ services is because the British Labour Ministry has declined to issue a permit for his further employment with us…[as] he is a German national. We have found Mr Moos to be intelligent, loyal, honest and industrious.’ Even his work as a Research Assistant at the LSE had to be cleared on a monthly basis by the Home Office (I have the letter relating to the period between 18th July and 18th August 1937).

Siegi writes to Albert Einstein on the 21st October 1936 in the hope Einstein could help get him into the US. He writes: ‘My uncle, Rudolph, recommended I address a request directly to you…Your wife, Mrs Einstein, knew my family and my father well.

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