Memorial Day with thoughts by Emily Hobhouse from 1923 ...

Perhaps the time has come for Emily Hobhouse's words to be considered and acted upon ... 

I have found these books on Emily Hobhouse to be particularly insightful into life from 1860 to 1926 … as we travel with Emily through that period from:

Soldiers going to serve in World War I
from Pensilva village, next village to
St Ive, near Liskeard, north Cornwall

• North Cornwall and England,

• briefly into America,

The early years of
Emily's life and
the Boer War:
"To Love One's Enemies"

• long periods in South Africa at and after the Boer Wars, with breaks in England and Europe,

Emily's years in
the first World War -
mostly spent in Europe
"Agent of Peace"

• in Europe during the 1910 – 1920 years (World War I, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and more),

•  then her letters and journaled thoughts as she compiled, composed and readied her papers for her nephew, Oliver, for the future after her death.

"Living The Love"-
the last years of
Emily's life

These are the papers inherited by Jennifer’s father, Oliver Hobhouse, but which passed to Jennifer.  She has devoted her recent years to researching, refining and ensuring that Emily Hobhouse’s work will not be forgotten … where the truth can be told utilising original documents, backed up by informed reference.  These papers are now stored in the Bodleian Library, Oxford

St Ive, Liskeard, Churchyard - the village where Emily
lived for the first half of year relatively short life

The following paragraphs form the frontispiece of Jennifer’s last book on Emily’s life, after World War I (1918 – 1926) : “Living the Love” … seem appropriate for a Memorial weekend post …

‘It is astonishing that though so long a list of the world’s greatest thinkers in all periods have pronounced against war, yet (to this time) no statesmen has appeared capable of abolishing it as a means of settling disputes …

Great therefore will be the statesman who takes his stand on Permanent Peace … He will teach the world that Peace is not a mere absence of war; that it is not a passive ‘do nothing’ existence … but rather an agreement to join together in work of mutual interests …

In a word he will substitute Co-operation in place of Competition …’

‘Histories should be re-written showing how mistaken statesmen have invariably been in leading their countrymen into war, and how little is gained and at what enormous cost. 

The attention of youth should be fixed on the really great men of history – thinkers, poets, discoverers, scientists etc, who have laboured to advance civilization, not destroy …’

National Women's Monument
in Bloemfontein

‘Only in South Africa is there a monument to the civilian dead, often the main sufferers in war.’

Emily Hobhouse 1923

(Permission granted to reproduce these words by Jennifer Hobhouse Balme – May 2016)

In our difficult present times … we need to remember others … to encourage our leaders to co-operate, to bring peace, to let us all live together in an harmonious world – global, region, country, area, town and parish – everyone supporting and encouraging each other … sharing and giving joy to the world.

May we be and remain at peace this Memorial Day weekend … with all our fellow humans …

The titles chosen by Jennifer for her books on Emily Hobhouse today seem so appropriate - titles available on Amazon ... links below:

To Love One's Enemies

Agent of Peace

Living the Love


My post on Emily Hobhouse and her life includes a note by David Nash, Professor of History, who argued in 1999, that (Emily’s) opposition to the Second Boer War began the tradition of peace politics that has flourished through the twentieth century …
The Boer War and its Humanitarian Critics  

Hilary Melton-Butcher

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