Emily Hobhouse – closing years of loneliness and struggle

Sugonxr made the most excellent summary of Emily’s opposition to the First World War as a comment to my article “Courage – Part 2”, I strongly recommend reading it before this article.

This woman was the most magnificent example of all the values that Britain supposedly valued. Emily faced prejudice, disdain, persecution and tremendous hostility. She was treated as a traitor, yet this magnificent human being did not hide from any members of British Officialdom. She confronted them, dauntlessly.

A great sadness in her life was when South Africa, under the vision of Louis Botha and Jan Smuts, entered the war on the side of Britain. This was too much to bear for many former Boer soldiers, to fight against Germany on the side of the hated British. It must also be remembered that Germany was not a defeated combatant yet and was engaged in the major campaign against the Allies. Not only did many of the Boer soldiers hate the British but they also feared possible retribution from the Germans. Yet Botha and Smuts wanted South Africa on the side of the British Empire as they knew that Britain would repay the loyalty of their former enemy with generosity in economic benefits and also allowing the Afrikaaner to continue their own political agenda, especially giving the white man power to rule over all races.
To publically be seen as a friend of Emily would put the former Boer generals in her camp. Britain would be antagonised and the plans of Botha and Smuts for the future of South Africa be jeopardised because Emily was such a thorn for pacifism in the side of Britain while at war against Germany. Jan Smuts told his wife Isie that Emily was sweet but tactless and a “little mad”.

Eventually the war ended, millions were dead and more millions were injured. Empires dissolved, devastation was everywhere on the continent of Europe. Famine was everywhere, women and children starved. The companion of disease was in close attendance. These dread conditions did not magically disappear at the end of World War One. In fact, the harsh penalties imposed upon Germany by the vengeful French and British at the Treaty of Versailles laid the seeds for continuing conflict and the future Second World War. Germany struggled to survive and rebuild itself.
Once again Emily sprang into action, just as she had done eighteen years earlier during the Boer War. Women and children were her major concern. She joined the “Save the Children Fund”, this fund was used to send starving children to Switzerland from all over Europe to regain their health.

She also started a fund called the “Russian Babies Fund” where products such as baby food, clothing, and soap was sent to St Petersburg.

(she loved children)

Emily went to Vienna and Leipzig in 1919 on behalf of the fund to assess conditions first hand. By now Emily was close to sixty years of age. What she saw in Leipzig dismayed her; over thirty thousand starving children. They were barely surviving on whatever small food parcels they received from England. Local authorities could do no more. Emily was a practical woman, she could do no more than what she could. She could only help Leipzig and she had to ignore the terrible fact that the same thing was happening in other cities. Many rallied to her cause in collecting funds, especially the Quakers. By November of that same year, about ten thousand children were being fed daily in Leipzig. There were over eighty thousand school age children for whom there was no food.

When she went to Vienna, she found deplorable conditions too, over a hundred thousand hungry people.
This noble woman rallied local people to her cause, donations poured in and people survived the terrible winter of 1919. A doctor found that over 40 percent of Leipzig children were malnourished. Some children had to be taught how to eat hot food as they had never received any in their short lives. Can you imagine that?

Emily wrote to her South African friend, Tibbie Steyn, pleading for help. South Africans rallied to the cause of the starving in Europe. Tibbie used the slogan “Lest we forget”, a reminder of what South Africa had to endure about twenty years earlier. The government of the Union of South Africa promised to match any contribution that was raised by the public. The British Government refused to help.

Can we imagine the trauma to the soul of Emily from witnessing all this misery and despair? Eventually she was close to collapse and had to convalesce, she went to Rome.

In July 1922, the fund was wound up. The meeting reported that over five and a half million meals were supplied to the children of Leipzig!

Emily had no place to spend her last years, her friend Tibbie Steyn knew this and diplomatically insisted on helping Emily buy a place in Cornwall, near to where she was born in St Ive. The funds were raised from South Africa; Smuts and Botha’s widow made up the shortfall to help the “Angel of the concentration camps” acquire Warren House. Emily delighted in the small parcels she received on her birthdays from South Africa; jam preserves, biltong, dried fruits and biscuits.

Here Emily spend time reviewing her diaries and notes but in 1923 she realised she had to sell the house as she was a semi invalid by now. She had to buy a smaller home which was less demanding. But Emily could not rest as the plight of Germany troubled her terribly. She went to Hamburg and was pushed around in a wheel chair, she suffered a terrible fall down a flight of stairs and had to return to England to heal.

The Germans had not forgotten her. The German Ambassador visited her and gave her a plaque from the city of Leipzig. In 1924 a bust of Emily was placed in the Leipzig city hall.

Now in her declining years as she reflected on the past, she realised with great sadness, even a little bitterness that no one had ever spoken in her defence to the British public to restore her name. Just before her death at the age of sixty-six years, her brother Leonard visited her. He knew the end of her life was near and said to her that she was always brave.

At her funeral there were only family and a few friends. Not a single politician attended. No one was present at her cremation. Her ashes were sent to South Africa.

A large ceremony was held in Bloemfontein, many people, especially women came and viewed her casket. Thousands attended the memorial; all the prominent leaders of South Africa. All the shops were closed, the city came to a standstill, all flags were flown at half-mast in honour of Emily. Thousands of people lined the streets. As far as I know, this has been the only state funeral for a foreigner held in South Africa.

So even though the “Great and Famous” were those whom she moved amongst, I think she yearned for a loving companion, for children. This was denied her by a selfish father, but this noble woman served and saved so many thousands of children, she shaped a better future for so many. Even though despised by her country, she was probably the finest example of all the ideals of being a decent human being.

Eventually mankind will forget her but I do not believe that her efforts will be in vain, ever.