Eleanor Rathbone — Personalities You Should Know

Eleanor Rathbone, whom inevitable death overtook a few days ago, stood in the ranks of the small nations and defended lofty principles — and no wonder, for she was courageous, knowing neither weariness nor tedium. She attained a high place among the women of our age known for moral daring, and this, together with the other qualities that distinguished her, left its mark on everything touching humanity.

All her life she fought for social reform and the rights of woman. Parliament's approval last June of the scheme for granting families an allowance was the fruit of her long efforts, with which she crowned this great struggle.

In the House of Commons Eleanor enjoyed respect, for she was a dignified personality with a wide grasp of everything concerning the State and great experience in everything concerning society; she was known for patience and tirelessness throughout her long endeavor to better the condition of the poor, the needy, and the wretched. She was distinguished also by her independent spirit, which was the reason all parties and all ministries respected her.

Long before she entered Parliament she was known as a woman of rare kind, possessed of many merits, for in her early years she followed in the footsteps of her father, Sir William Rathbone, one of the charitable rich men of Liverpool.

Beginning in 1904, after studying political philosophy at the University of Liverpool and then at Oxford, she took up an inquiry into the condition of the dock workers of Liverpool and wrote a valuable report on the subject. She was the first lady elected a member of the municipal council of the city of Liverpool, and thereafter she became the strong-argued advocate defending the rights of women. She opposed official policy when Mussolini invaded Abyssinia; she opposed the policy of non-intervention in Spain and spared no effort in caring for the Spanish refugees who reached England; and she scorned Chamberlain's policy at Munich.

When the war broke out she devoted herself for a time to the European refugees who came to Britain from all parts of Europe, and a few days before her death she was trying to rouse public opinion in support of the question of caring for the women and children dying of hunger in Europe.

She admired intensely Mr. Churchill, the national leader who rendered his country the greatest of services; nor did she approve of the criticism that was directed at him, saying that circumstances did not permit such criticism.

At the last, Britain has lost a lady among the greatest of women, the noblest, the most active, the finest in feeling, and the loftiest in station.