Eastbourne Suffrage and the War.

The Eastbourne Gazette, Four page pull-out on 20th December 1916 included a section, “What Eastbourne has done to Alleviate Distress and Suffering.”

In this Article Mrs. Fred Allen explains the work of the Eastbourne Society of Women’s Suffrage during the first two years of the war:

"Suffrage Societies and War Work

In accordance with the suggestion of the executive of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, to which the Eastbourne Society is affiliated, all political work was suspended when war broke out, and the society has strictly adhered to this principle. The principle will be rigidly observed so long as there is no proposal to alter the basis of the franchise for men. Regulations to prevent the disqualification of men who, but for the exigencies of war would have been qualified voters, have the approval and sympathy of the National Union and its affiliated societies.

The work of the Eastbourne Society during the year 1916 has been distributed amongst the various departments of war-work in the town rather than concentrated on any special effort of the society itself. The Belgian Club has been the principal financial responsibility – as some indication of its usefulness it may be mentioned that there are records of 1,100 loans of books from the French library connected with the club. The French Lending Library is now housed at the Free Library, as the Belgian Club is closed.

In the spring of this year (1916) the society took part in the “Munition Week” collection towards the Y.M.C.A. national effort to provide accommodation for the women munitions workers. In St. Mary’s Ward, for which the society became responsible, over £27 was collected.

Quite recently, in November (1916), an appeal sent out to the members of the society and a few sympathetic friends realised a sum of over £21 towards supplying urgent hospital necessaries to Dr. Elsie Inglis (Scottish Women’s Hospital N.U.W.S.S), who is in charge of the only hospital relief with the Serbian division of the Russian Army.

Many of the members of the society are engaged at the Red Cross hospitals, others are helping systematically in the canteen and entertainment work, mending for the soldiers and working in the Red Cross Depot. Others are making the Belgian refugees in the town their special care.

One happy result of the distribution of the society’s energies has been that it has provided opportunity with those who, while divided on the one and only ground which is the “raison d’etre” of the society, are one in the society in love of country, and in the passionate desire to help and heal which inspires all true women."