Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on March 04, 2005 at 10:20:00 from 213.38.124.194 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: Evgenia (was : Ransome & the British Secret Services) posted by Ian E-N on March 02, 2005 at 12:27:05:
"Today's value" for an historical currency that was not freely convertible is impossible to establish. But we can take a stab at the value of the diamonds - not huge, but a worthwhile sum.
Having thought about Ian's and Phil's arguments, and having been in a somewhat analogous situation in a small way myself, I conclude that AR was certainly not a "double agent", whatever one of those was, that he was not a paid agent of either side, and that he had no very strong political views, but was a loyal British subject with ties of sympathy to the Bolsheviks, espescially Radek.
Which is what he tells us himself.
Lockhart's account in his autobiography, and his signal concerning Evgenia, are quite clear and consistent - Ransome was useful to both sides, and he obviously did pass information to Lockhart. His overriding concern would certainly have been to get Evgenia out of Russia, and since he could not marry her, he would have had to go to some lengths to achieve this.
It is also quite clear from the Autobiography that his experience of being distrusted by both sides left him with a disgust for politics of that sort.