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71 The connection between the First World War, feminist politics and women’s consciousness is currently of great interest to those working in the field of women’s history. The formation of the Save the Children Fund (SCF) in 1919 illustrates that focusing exclusively on women’s participation in party political processes overlooks the fact that there was also a renewed interest in voluntary action after the First World War. A sizeable number of women – including former suffragists – military doctors and nurses, social workers and politicians became active in the post-war peace movement and in relief work, and campaigned exclusively for voluntary children’s aid. By providing grants to relief projects sponsored by women, the SCF furthered newly enfranchised women’s careers in politics, relief agencies and peace work. For many feminists and humanitarians, it was impossible to distinguish between politics and voluntary action where women and children were concerned. Feminists, politics and children’s charity: the formation of the Save the Children Fund Linda Mahood, Department of History, University of Guelph, Canada On 15 May 1919, two women Peace and Freedom (WILPF). The appeared in a London court. They police already knew Ayrton Gould were charged with violating the and many members of the crowd of Defence of the Realm Act by WILPF women and FFC members distributing uncensored leaflets to who blocked the stairway at the publicise the next Fight the Famine Mansion House Court. In her own Council (FFC) meeting at the Albert defence Ayrton Gould testified, Hall. The first case involved ‘What is written I stand for’: a Barbara Ayrton Gould, a veteran magistrate could only convict, she suffragist and member of the reasoned, ‘if he believed the Women’s International League for Government treated the starvation V olunt ary Action Volume 5 Number 1 Winter 2002 72 of women, children, and the aged and for implicating the Labour Party as [a continuation] of the war after Press, but she insisted that she too fighting has ceased.’ She insisted had not broken the law. Ayrton that she ‘would go to prison as a Gould and Jebb were each fined protest’ (Daily Herald, 16 May £5. Later, Jebb remarked that if the 1919). publicity surrounding her arrest enabled the Save the Children The next case involved the Fund to raise the funds necessary honorary secretary of the FFC, to save starving children, then to Eglantyne Jebb, who had formed her the fine was the ‘equivalent to the Council with her sister Dorothy victory’ (Jebb, May 1919). Buxton and a diverse group of prominent British feminists, Prochaska (1980, 228-30) has politicians, intellectuals and argued that while early-nineteenth- pacifists in January 1919 to protest century female philanthropists trod against the continuance of the cautiously around the political side hunger blockade after the of their work, this was no longer Armistice. Jebb was charged with possible by the twentieth century. distributing a leaflet containing the The local and international photograph of a starving Austrian women’s suffrage societies that baby. The leaflet announced the emerged were run along the lines formation of a new FFC sub- established by Victorian committee, the Save the Children philanthropic institutions, and the Fund. The text explained: fundraising, bookkeeping and public relations skills developed in There are millions of such children charity committee work were used starving to-day ... [and the] only by Edwardian suffragists. In the way to bring real help to starving years before the First World War, Europe is to restore free however, many suffragists and intercourse between the nations socialists attacked women’s charity and allow the starving countries to work because, in their view, it feed themselves (National Labour impeded feminist causes and Press, 1919). women’s emancipation. Nevertheless, during the war many Because it was her first time in prominent suffragists insisted that court, Jebb took a more conciliatory women’s full financial and personal tone with the magistrate. She participation in the war effort would apologised for involving the FFC be an opportunity to prove their Feminist s, politics and children s charity: the formation of the Save the Children Fund73 capabilities and patriotism. After the aid. By providing grants to relief war, the feminist and social ideals projects sponsored by women, the that continued to inform charity and SCF furthered newly enfranchised social work fed new campaigns to women’s careers in politics, relief improve women’s and children’s agencies and peace work. For lives; thus the war ‘added an many feminists and humanitarians additional layer to their experience it was impossible to distinguish and ideas’ (Jones, 2000, 74). By between politics and voluntary the twentieth century women’s action where women and children voluntary organisations had were concerned. become so interconnected with The Women’s International League politics that the two were for Peace and Freedom was inseparable ‘in the lives of feminists formed at the Hague in 1915 by a active before the First World War’ number of National Union of (Alberti, 1989, 22). Women’s Suffrage Societies members who objected to The connection between the First Pankhurst’s suggestion that World War, feminist politics and feminist organisations should women’s consciousness is currently support the war effort. Its members of great interest to those working in were determined to work for world the field of women’s history. This peace and international feminist article suggests that the formation causes. Their first activity after the of the Save the Children Fund Armistice was to pressure (SCF) in 1919 illustrates that governments to settle peace terms focusing exclusively on women’s and to provide relief to starving participation in party political women and children in war-torn processes overlooks the fact that Europe. In September 1918 there was also a renewed interest Dorothy Buxton read a report on in voluntary action after First World the famine conditions in Russia to War. In the period after the the WILPF and enlisted their Armistice a sizeable number of support in forming the FFC. WILPF women – including former member Maude Royden was a suffragists – military doctors and keynote speaker at the first FFC nurses, social workers, and meeting and Mary Sheepshanks of politicians became active in the the Women’s International Suffrage post-war peace movement and Alliance became the secretary of relief work, and campaigned the Council. Their joint sub- exclusively for voluntary children’s committees conveyed their V olunt ary Action Volume 5 Number 1 Winter 2002 74 condemnation of the blockade to WILPF raised £6,225 to purchase Winston Churchill and sent and transport a million rubber teats deputations to pressure Lord to help feed German infants. Even Robert Cecil to permit Germany to though they participated in this import food and raw materials to relief effort, the executive stressed alleviate suffering (Alberti, 1989, that the League was a political and 85). In the weeks prior to their not a philanthropic organisation and arrest at the Fight the Famine rally, must not get sidetracked by relief WILPF and FFC members, work (Haslem, 1999, 134-5). including suffragette Emmeline League chairman Helen Swanwick Pethick-Lawrence, prepared wrote that the teat campaign was circulars stating the ‘facts as to the an exception to the organisation’s terrible situation of the child rules. In her view, abandoning their population’ in central Europe (D educative pacifist work for charity Buxton, 11 May 1919). In April work would ‘indeed be surrendering Pethick-Lawrence addressed an to the age-old notion that women anti-blockade meeting in Trafalgar had no concern in public life except Square and marched with Ayrton to wipe up the mess made by men.’ Gould to Downing Street under a She regretted that women: banner demanding ‘Lift the Hunger Blockade’ (Pethick-Lawrence, ... drifted naturally and easily into 1938). relief which, except for a few leaders and organizers, required The relationship between the only jog-trot feminine capacities WILPF and the FFC reveals some and had no permanent effect on of tensions between feminist policy (Swanwick, 1935, 316). political movements and post-war campaigns for voluntary action. The FFC was also a political FFC and WILPF executive pressure group. The problems, as committees recognised that the Buxton saw them, were how to gain most immediate question was how public sympathy for the enemy’s to get funds and relief to the children and get much-needed aid starving people, especially the to the starving children in central children, of central Europe. In Europe, while working toward their addition to pressuring politicians longer-term political and economic and producing propaganda geared goals. Like many FFC members, toward softening hostile public Buxton wished to concentrate on opinion regarding Germany, the politics and public education, while Feminist s, politics and children s charity: the formation of the Save the Children Fund75 others, including her sister went up to Oxford University in Eglantyne, wanted to focus on the 1895, where she studied history. urgently needed relief. To resolve She then trained as an elementary this division, Buxton suggested the school teacher and taught for one formation of an apolitical branch of year in Marlborough. In 1901 she the movement, the Save the moved with her mother to Children Fund, which would be Cambridge and joined the purely humanitarian and solely Cambridge Ladies’ Discussion philanthropic (E Buxton, 1965). This Society and the Charity freed the WILPF and the FFC to Organization Society (COS), where concentrate on political work she worked with women from a (Jones, 2000, 102). number of notable philanthropic families, including the Marshalls, In many respects, the life histories Darwins, Keyneses and Sidgwicks. of philanthropy and political In 1906 she wrote Cambridge: a activism of the Jebb sisters are Brief Study of Social Questions.

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