Cedric Belfrage

Cedric Henning Belfrage (November 8, 1904 – June 21, 1990) was a socialist, author, journalist, translator and co-founder of the radical US-weekly newspaper the "National Guardian". [ [http://www.readinkbooks.com/home/cericold.jpgCericold] at readingbooks.com]

Literary and political development

Born in London, Belfrage was educated at Gresham's School, Holt and started his writing career as a film critic at Cambridge University, where he published his first article in Kinematograph Weekly (1924). In 1927, Belfrage went to Hollywood, where he was hired by the "New York Sun" and "Film Weekly" as a correspondent. Belfrage returned to London in 1930 as Sam Goldwyn's press agent. Returning to Hollywood, he became politically active, joining the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, co-editing a left literary magazine, "The Clipper". Belfrage joined the US Communist Party in 1937, but withdrew his membership a few months later. Thereafter, he maintained a friendly but critical relationship. During World War II he worked in the British Security Coordination for the Western hemisphere.

In 1948, he wrote for and helped co-found---along with James Aronson and John McManus---the National Guardian (renamed the Guardian in 1967) to which he would remain affiliated until the late 1960s.

Questioned during McCarthy-era

At the height of McCarthyism, Belfrage was summoned in 1953 to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). In 1955, he was deported by the U.S. government back to his native England. Belfrage then travelled to Cuba in 1961, and in 1962, travelled throughout South America finally settling in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In 1973, Belfrage returned to the US for the first time since 1955, touring around the country with his new book, "The American Inquisition" (Bobbs Merrill, 1973, Siglo XXI, Mexico, Thunder' Mouth Press, 1989).

Exile years

Belfrage later debuted as a Spanish-English translator, notably for the Latin American author Eduardo Galeano. Belfrage continued to write extensively until his last years. He died in Mexico on June 21, 1990.

Intelligence and counter-intelligence reputation

According to FBI files, Belfrage was questioned by the FBI in 1947 about his involvement with the Communist Party. The interview covered his relations with Earl Browder, Jacob Golos, V. J. Jerome, and surveillances and documents about Scotland Yard and the Vichy Government of France.

In 1995, the decrypted VENONA intercepts--a project between the U.S. and British intelligence services to decipher Soviet wires--were made public. US intelligence alleges that Un-named codename number 9 (UNC/9) was Belfrage. Venona also had a cover name “Charlie” that was not identified by the FBI. The 1948 "Gorsky Memo", found in Soviet Archives, identifies Belfrage as having a covert relationship with Soviet intelligence as a member of the “Sound” and “Myrna” groups. Seven Venona decrpyts reference UNC/9 in passing conversations between Belfrage's bureau chief and Winston Churchill on to the Soviets.

Family

Belfrage has three children; Sally Belfrage and Nicolas Belfrage with wife Molly Castle and Anne Belfrage-Hertz (Zribi) with partner Anne-Marie Hertz. He also has six grandchildren: Alexander and Eve Pomerence, Isabelle and Tom Zribi-Hertz and Beatriz and Ixta Belfrage.He was the younger brother of the actor and BBC newsreader Bruce Belfrage (1900-1974).

Bibliography

Books

* "Away From It All." Gollancz, London, 1937; Simon and Schuster, 1937; Literary Guild, 1937 Penguin (Britain).
* "Promised Land." Gollancz, London, 1937; Left Book Club, London, 1937; Republished by Garland, New York, Classics of Film Literature series, 1983.
* "Let My People Go." Gollancz, London, 1937.
* "South of God." Left Book Club, 1938.
* "A Faith to Free the People." Modern Age, New York, 1942; Dryden Press, New York, 1944; Book Find Club, 1944.
* "They All Hold Swords." Modern Age, New York, 1941.
* "Abide With Me." Sloane Associates, New York, 1948; Secker and Warburg, London, 1948.
* "Seeds of Destruction." Cameron and Kahn, New York, 1954.
* "The Frightened Giant." Secker and Warburg, London, 1956.
* "My Master Columbus." Secker and Warburg, 1961; Doubleday, New York, 1962; Editiones Contemporaneos, Mexico, (in Spanish).
* "The Man at the Door With the Gun." Monthly Review, New York, 1963.
* "The American Inquisition." Bobbs-Merrill, 1973; Siglo XXI, Mexico (in Spanish). Thunder's Mouth Press, 1989.
* "Something to Guard." Columbia University Press, 1978.

References

*Cedric Belfrage interview, 8 June 1947, [http://foia.fbi.gov/silversm/silversm3b.pdf FBI Silvermaster file, serial 2522, pgs. 47-49] (pgs. 446, 447, 448 in original).
*Cedric Belfrage statement, 3 June 1947, [http://foia.fbi.gov/silversm/silversm3a.pdf FBI Silvermaster file, serial 2583, pgs. 50-56] (pgs. 318 - 324 in original).
*Elizabeth Bentley deposition, 30 November 1945, FBI file 65-14603
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