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MI5's records concerning poet and communist Nicholas of Glais covered both world wars, a newly-released batch of security files have revealed. Documents from the National Archive in Kew show that his letters were opened and his activities monitored for years.
In 1915, Thomas Evans Nicholas first came to the authorities' attention, speaking at the memorial service for Labour party founder Keir Hardy.
His words were reported in the Aberdare Leader and the Welsh-language Pioneer.
But one person who heard the sermon was so disturbed by the nature of what had been said from the pulpit, that he wrote to the Chief Constable of Glamorganshire to complain.
WJ Evans told Chief Constable Lionel Lindsay that the sermon had been particularly objectionable when dealing with the moral position of conscripted soldiers, as opposed to volunteers.
|  If this Nicholas could be made an example of, it would go a long way towards restoring a patriotic feeling |
"He stated the conscript was compelled to commit murder, whilst the volunteer committed murder of his own free will," he said.
This, Evans argued; "certainly was to my mind a foul libel on the brave fellows who gave their lives for their country".
The Chief Constable was equally offended, and sent the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the grounds that an offence had been committed (both by Nicholas and the Pioneer for reporting it) against the Defence of the Realm Act.
The local constabulary in Aberdare noted that the Pioneer was "the recognised socialist organ of the local independent Labour party".
It was regarded as an "agitating medium" with "an aversion to the war and recruiting in general."
Fortunately for Nicholas, the Attorney General decided not to bring a case against him - partly because too much time had elapsed since the sermon. But two years later, another parishioner complained to the authorities about Nicholas' activities.
Swift response
On 22 November 1917, Winifred Inglis-Jones from Lilangeni wrote to ask "if you can do something to get a most objectionable and dangerous man in this neighbourhood put away for a bit."
She told Mrs Drummond (a member of the Patriotic League) that in 1915, he had been "preaching sedition at his chapel and abusing the King and doing all in his power to stop recruiting."
"Now he is getting very bad again." He accused Nicholas of supporting conscientious objection and of influencing the young.
"If this Nicholas could be made an example of, it would go a long way towards restoring a patriotic feeling," she said.
The response was swift. Within weeks, the MI5 papers reveal that a warrant had been issued by the Government, instructing the Postmaster-General to "detain, open, and produce for any inspection all postal packets and telegrams" addressed to Nicholas.
For the duration of the war, the files reveal that various correspondence was intercepted, including confirmation of Nicholas' nomination as the Independent Labour Party candidate for the Aberdare division, for the 1918 General Election.
The authorities maintained a certain level of surveillance throughout the 1930s. The files include intercepted mail, telephone checks and police reports.
There is also a copy of Nicholas' passport application form from 1935, when he applied to visit the Soviet Union.
After the Second World War broke out, Nicholas was arrested by the Chief Constable of the Cardiganshire Constabulary and imprisoned in Swansea and Brixton prisons.
The files reveal that MI5 had no involvement. But they do include copies of correspondence indicating the extent to which efforts were made to implicate Nicholas as a subversive, worthy of being kept in prison for the duration of the war.
The accusations against Nicholas were not supported by credible evidence, and both he and his son Islwyn were eventually released.
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