Animal Farm: Too Hot to Handle?

Here's a new one on me: an "Author's Introduction" to George Orwell's Animal Farm, recounting its rocky road to publication (link). The introduction appears to have been written in 1945, i.e., jsut at the close of World War II, although not published until 1972. Inter alia, it quotes this gem from a prospective publisher of the book:

I mentioned the reaction I had had from an important official in the Ministry of Information with regard to Animal Farm. I must confess that this expression of opinion has given me seriously to think... I can see now that it might be regarded as something which it was highly ill-advised to publish at the present time. If the fable were addressed generally to dictators and dictatorships at large then publication would be all right, but the fable does follow, as I see now, so completely the progress of the Russian Soviets and their two dictators, that it can apply only to Russia, to the exclusion of the other dictatorships. Another thing: it would be less offensive if the predominant caste in the fable were not pigs. I think the choice of pigs as the ruling caste will no doubt give offence to many people, and particularly to anyone who is a bit touchy, as undoubtedly the Russians are.

[Footnote omitted]. Sic, Ministry of Information? The Brits had one of those in 1945?

Note also that the link here is to a Russian website. What's this all about?

H/T: Underbelly's PDX Bureau.