BOOK III

THE WOMEN'S REVOLUTION

CHAPTER PAGE

I 205

II 221

III 249

IV 270

V 285

VI 303

VII 323

VIII 339

IX 350

ILLUSTRATIONS

Portrait of Mrs. Pankhurst _Frontispiece_

FACING

PAGE

Mrs. Pankhurst addressing a by-election crowd 74

Mrs. Pankhurst and Christabel hiding from the police

on the roof garden at Clements Inn, October, 1908 120

Christabel, Mrs. Drummond and Mrs. Pankhurst in the

dock, First Conspiracy Trial, October, 1908 126

Mrs. Pankhurst and Miss Christabel Pankhurst in prison

dress 132

Inspector Wells conducting Mrs. Pankhurst to the

House of Commons, June, 1908 140

Over 1,000 women had been in prison--Broad arrows in

the 1910 parade 170

The head of the deputation on Black Friday, November,

1910 178

For hours scenes like this were enacted on Black Friday,

November, 1910 180

Riot scenes on Black Friday, November, 1910 186

In this manner thousands of women throughout the

Kingdom slept in unoccupied houses over census night 194

The argument of the broken window pane 218

A suffragette throwing a bag of flour at Mr. Asquith

in Chester 260

Re-Arrest of Mrs. Pankhurst at Woking, May 26,

1913 312

Mrs. Pankhurst and Christabel in the garden of

Christabel's home in Paris 324

"Arrested at the King's gate!" May, 1914 348

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to express her deep obligation to Rheta Childe Dorr

for invaluable editorial services performed in the preparation of this

volume, especially the American edition.

FOREWORD

The closing paragraphs of this book were written in the late summer of

1914, when the armies of every great power in Europe were being

mobilised for savage, unsparing, barbarous warfare--against one another,

against small and unaggressive nations, against helpless women and

children, against civilisation itself. How mild, by comparison with the

despatches in the daily newspapers, will seem this chronicle of women's

militant struggle against political and social injustice in one small

corner of Europe. Yet let it stand as it was written, with

peace--so-called, and civilisation, and orderly government as the

background for heroism such as the world has seldom witnessed. The

militancy of men, through all the centuries, has drenched the world with

blood, and for these deeds of horror and destruction men have been

rewarded with monuments, with great songs and epics. The militancy of

women has harmed no human life save the lives of those who fought the

battle of righteousness. Time alone will reveal what reward will be

allotted to the women.

This we know, that in the black hour that has just struck in Europe, the

men are turning to their women and calling on them to take up the work

of keeping civilisation alive. Through all the harvest fields, in

orchards and vineyards, women are garnering food for the men who fight,

as well as for the children left fatherless by war. In the cities the

women are keeping open the shops, they are driving trucks and trams, and

are altogether attending to a multitude of business.

When the remnants of the armies return, when the commerce of Europe is

resumed by men, will they forget the part the women so nobly played?

Will they forget in England how women in all ranks of life put aside

their own interests and organised, not only to nurse the wounded, care

for the destitute, comfort the sick and lonely, but actually to maintain

the existence of the nation? Thus far, it must be admitted, there are

few indications that the English Government are mindful of the unselfish

devotion manifested by the women. Thus far all Government schemes for

overcoming unemployment have been directed towards the unemployment of

men. The work of women, making garments, etc., has in some cases been

taken away.

At the first alarm of war the militants proclaimed a truce, which was

answered half-heartedly by the announcement that the Government would

release all suffrage prisoners who would give an undertaking "not to

commit further crimes or outrages." Since the truce had already been

proclaimed, no suffrage prisoner deigned to reply to the Home

Secretary's provision. A few days later, no doubt influenced by

representations made to the Government by men and women of every

political faith--many of them never having been supporters of

revolutionary tactics--Mr. McKenna announced in the House of Commons

that it was the intention of the Government, within a few days, to

release unconditionally, all suffrage prisoners. So ends, for the

present, the war of women against men. As of old, the women become the

nurturing mothers of men, their sisters and uncomplaining helpmates. The

future lies far ahead, but let this preface and this volume close with

the assurance that the struggle for the full enfranchisement of women

has not been abandoned; it has simply, for the moment, been placed in

abeyance. When the clash of arms ceases, when normal, peaceful, rational

society resumes its functions, the demand will again be made. If it is

not quickly granted, then once more the women will take up the arms they

to-day generously lay down. There can be no real peace in the world

until woman, the mother half of the human family, is given liberty in

the councils of the world.