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(Carbon copy. Written to accompany an article by Mrs Pethick-Lawrence, about the time of her visit to South Africa in 1930.)

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Transcript

Mrs. Pethick Lawrence. Biographical notes.

Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence[,] writer of the following article, recently made a tour in South Africa and was brought in touch with many of the leaders of public opinion in this country. She was known in advance by many South Africans as a prominent leader of the Women’s Movement in Great Britain. She was a colleague of Mrs. Pankhurst in the Women’s Social and Political Union, and is the President of the Women’s Freedom League. Her husband is in the present British Government and holds the office of Financial secretary to the Treasury.

Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence is one of the founders of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom which she mentions in this article. This League has its headquarters in Geneva and has national branches in twenty-six countries and correspondence centres in a further sixteen countries where branches are not yet formed. All her life she has been deeply impressed with the wast[e]fulness of war and irrationality of war. In her opinion war never settles any question, on the contrary it unsettles everything. During the Boer War, her husband was Secretary of the Conciliation Committee.

Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence was an intimate friend of Miss Emily Hobhouse, and while in this country she renewed her old friendship with women like Mrs. Ex-President Steyn who worked with Miss Hobhouse to mitigate some of the horrible conditions brought about by the Boer War

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‘? 1930’ has been added by hand at the top of the first sheet, together with the file number ‘2069’.

(Typed, with handwritten corrections.)

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Transcript

Biography of Mrs. Pethick Lawrence.

Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence is well known all over the world as a feminist who played a leading part in the world wide Woman Suffrage Campaign before the war She is also known as an internationalist who during the four years of the great war brought all the influence she possesses as a public speaker upon the people of her own country and upon the people in America to work for a Peace by negotiation and reconciliation, rather than a Peace dictated by the victorious armies.

In the Autumn of 1914, a cable summoned her to New York to address a vast suffrage meeting at the Carnegie Hall. On that occasion she helped to inaugurate the campaign which two years later led to the political enfranchisement of the women of that State. As a result of her campaign the American section of the Women’s International League was formed at Washington in January 1915, with Jane Addams as its President, and the two women sailed with fifty American women delegates to take part in an International Conference of Women held at the Hague in April 1915.

At the Conference of the Women’s International League in Zurich in May 1919, she registered her vigorous protest against the terms of the Versailles Treaty which had been published a few hours before the meeting was held.

In June 1920, Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence represented her country in an International Peace meeting in the German Reichstag in Berlin. She also spoke in the Mozarteum Great Hall in Salzburg, in the Town Hall, Vienna and in other towns on the “Women’s International League and Constructive Peace”.

She has since visited America twice and has been once to South Africa where she took part in the celebrations that welcomed the granting of woman suffrage in South Africa, the last dominion in the British Commonwealth to enfranchise its women. Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence is President of the Women’s Freedom League and vice-President of the Women’s International League, British Section,

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‘Revised March 1933’ has been written at the top of the first sheet, together with the file number ‘2069’.

(Typed, with handwritten alterations.)

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Transcript

Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence is President of the Women’s Freedom League. This society was founded in 1907. Its objective was to secure the equality of women with men in political, social, professional and industrial life. Its first objective was to win the political enfranchisement of women. Realising that propaganda carried out for fifty years has {1} produced no result, they determined to bring the movement into the political arena by means of spectacular protests.

In the Parliamentary session of 1908, two of the members of the Women’s Freedom League took up their posts in the Ladies Gallery which at that time was fenced all round with an iron network so that women were entirely screened from the members of Parliament who were debating on the ground floor. They chained themselves to this iron work and threw away the key and this gave them the opportunity, though they themselves were unseen, to address the members of Parliament and to urge them to do justice to women. Police were sent for to remove the women from the Ladies Gallery but since they could not break the chain they had to hammer out a piece of the iron barricade and all the time that this work was being done, the ladies addressed the members of Parliament below.

This incident caused great excitement and the story was sent all over the world by press reporters.

During the same year some of the members showered handbills all over London from a balloon and on another occasion members of the Lords and Commons were address[ed] from a steam launch close to the Terrace of the House of Commons.

In 1909, the House of Commons was “picketed” during the whole Session lasting from July 6th until October 28th. During those months women stood throughout the heat, the rain and the cold all the time that Parliament was in Session and often they had to remain all through the night because there were a number of night Sessions. They stood there holding placards which attracted a large public, & secured a great deal of press publicity.

Then in 1909 the policy was adopted of Tax Resistance. “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” This is a well know[n] political slogan which has been honoured for centuries by men. Women determined that until they could sent their representative to Parliament they would refuse to pay imperial taxes. Many were prosecuted, fined and imprisoned and their property was sold at public auctions. Their demonstrations brought wide publicity and added crowds of new members to their Cause {2}. Caravans toured the country villages during the Summer. Huge open air meetings were held in London parks. In seaside places the women drew great crowds at in† the holiday season and woman’s suffrage became the main topic of conversation throughout the entire country.

During the war, the Women’s Freedom League organised the Woman’s Suffrage National Aid Corps whose chief object was to render help to women anc† children and to nurse in hospitals and convalescent homes. They also formed the Women’s Police Corps and women police volunteers who became known later as the woman’s† Auxiliary service. At the end of the war the first woman’s enfranchisement bill was passed in Parliament.

Years in, years out the Women’s Freedom League continued to work for complete political equality. This was achieved in 1928. The W.F.L. is still active in calling the attention of Parliament to any and every unfairness to women protesting by letter, by deputations, by prompting friendly members of Parliament to put questions in the House. The chief question with which they are concerned at the present moment, is the economic equality of women. The League stands for equal pay for equal work. It claims that all protective industrial legislation should apply to both sexes equally and deprecates restrictions applied only to women because this kind of protection has a tendency to relegate women to the more poorly paid occupations. The League stands for the same right for women to dertermine† their nationality as is exercised by men and also for their right to decide whether they will continue their career when they marry. It advocates the appointment of women in the Police Force and women in Prison Administration. It supports the return of women members of Parliament and advocates the inclusion of women to official positions in the League of Nations.

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Typed, with a handwritten alterations. At the top of the first sheet is written ‘February 1935.’ and ‘Only Copy.’

{1} i.e. ‘had’.

{2} The following words are struck through here: ‘all this time. Indoor meetings and outdoor meetings were held over the country. They were explaining to the public the need for women in political life.’

† Sic.

2 Currie Street, Nine Elms, S.W.—Discusses arrangements for their journey on the Continent, and refers to the Caterers’ Union meeting at Memorial Hall.

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Transcript

2 Currie St | Nine Elms | S.W
23 May 1920

Dear Mrs Pethick Lawrence,

Thank you so much for both your letters. I hope the business is now pretty well finished. I went to Cooks on Friday, {1} saw your clerk, paid for my ticket and am to call for it on Friday, when, I hope my passport also will be ready. I have the French visa: for the Swiss there were more formalities. But one of our staff at the W.F.L office has promised to see it through so I hope all will be plain sailing for our start 8 a.m from Victoria on Monday-week. {2} I shall only take hand luggage.

Fortunately, one will not need warm things.

I look forward with great pleasure to our journey together.

I hear you had a great send-off on Friday. The Caterers’ Union packed Memorial Hall, principally girls and women. There will be trouble at Lyons’s this week if the employers do not make substantial concessions.

I have seldom seen such unity and determination.

With love
Affectionately yours
C. Despard

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{1} 21st.

{2} 31st.

Roebuck (Dublin).—Discusses her convalescence (from an injury?), and refers to the distress of the poor in Ireland.

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Roebuck
22 Novr 1928.

My very dear friend.

I delayed answering your delightful letter until I could use my hurt hand. It is not quite itself yet; but I think like the rest of me it will soon be well.

The time has been a difficult one in some ways; but the compensations were many, and in the Hospital I had solitary hours of great happiness. Often and often I have thought of our strenuous days in the women’s movement.

I say sometimes, one of its chief achivements† and joys was the discovery of woman by woman.

I was grieved to hear that you were laid aside during the Fair-time. I do hope the rest has restored you.

We are having terribly hard times here. {1} Two young men “mad with hunger” broke windows last week to get imprisonment. I fear things are not much better in England. Great changes, I be-lieve are impending

I must write no more. Thank you, dear friend a thousand times for your love and thought of me

I hope still to see you and my other dear friends of the League next year

With affectionate and grateful memories to your husband and true love to yourself

Yrs affectionately
C. Despard

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{1} Full stop supplied.

29 Glenburn Park, Belfast.—Refers to her current circumstances and the arrangements for her birthday celebrations. The world needs true feminism more than ever.

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Transcript

29 Glenburn Park | Belfast
12 June 1935

Mrs Pethick Lawrence

My very dear friend.

On Saturday 15th instant I am having my own little birthday party. {1} You were with us last year and did much to make us all happy and joyful.

I hear that you are deeply engaged in Edinburgh now, so I do not even venture to ask if you can come. All I want you to understand [is] that in the midst of our festivals, as in the more serious moments in our life as a league we could not forget you. Therefore I let you know.

I heard the other day that you have not been very well. I do hope and trust that you are not overtasking yourself. You should take rest when you feel it is to be necessary.

I cannot expect to be so strong as I once was, but I man[a]ge still to do some work, and to encourage and cheer those who are young

I am glad [I] came to the North. This is the industrial part of Ireland, and there are many fine industrials here

Some of these days if we meet I must tell you about them

In the meantime I send you my love, complet[e] with an earnest desire that you may suc[c]eed in your present venture. Your husband too! We all know that we owe him much for his generous help in our times of need.

I don’t know what you think about the present situation in Europe and indeed throughout the world. I feel that there was never a time when feminism of the true sort was more needed than it is now

I am so glad to hear that you are taking the chair on the day of the official birthday party

We always miss our dear Dr Knight. {2} The other officers, Miss Underwood in particular, are very good.

Women have not yet still {3} wanted. Women† has not reached her true position as she has in Russia—therefore our League has still its uses.

Earnestly wishing that all may go well with you

Yours in true affection
C. Despard

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A few words and letters have been supplied in square brackets.

{1} Charlotte Despard’s birthday, 15 June, was celebrated each year by the members of the Women’s Freedom League. But the distinction between the party mentioned here, which Emmeline was not expected to attend, and the official party mentioned later, which she was to chair, is unclear.

{2} Full stop supplied.

{3} This word is indistinct.