The Women's Victory—and After: Personal Reminiscences, 1911-1918 — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Women's Victory—and After: Personal Reminiscences, 1911-1918
John Stuart Mill · en
follow her. A very fine tribute to her memory was paid by the Serbian
authorities on the occasion of the unveiling of a memorial to her. "To
die for one's country," said one of the Serbs, "that is fine, but that
we understand; but to die for another country, that is superb—that is
something beyond us."
Returning to the Pilgrimage and its results. Petitions to Parliament
in favour of women's suffrage had been sent up from the very
numerous meetings which the pilgrims had held while on their march
towards London. These were presented by our friends in the House in
batches, with short speeches, not just dropped silently into the bag
behind the Speaker's chair, as in the old days. A number of M.P.'s
received deputations from their constituents who had taken part in
the Pilgrimage. At the end of July the Home Secretary, Mr. McKenna,
received a deputation from some of the pilgrims, who wished to bring
to his notice the inadequacy of police protection given at some of
the meetings they had addressed. One of the speakers said there was
an impression abroad that women's suffrage meetings were fair game,
and that disorder and hooliganism could take place at these without
disagreeable consequences to those who indulged in them. In his reply
there was a notable change for the better in Mr. McKenna's attitude
towards the N.U.W.S.S. He asked for a list of the meetings of which
complaint was made, and promised enquiry, adding that he would do his
utmost to give suffragists protection as complete as that extended to
other citizens holding peaceful political meetings. He even added: "I
sincerely admire the courage with which you have carried on your work
... and I honestly believe that your method of action has assisted your
cause." This was a great improvement compared with the time, not many
months earlier, when he was so long in making up his mind whether or
not to prosecute us for promoting the sale of an "obscene" book.