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ABSTRACT
A private organization created and managed by a devoted founder, Muriel Paget’s Mission to the Baltic States developed a welfare programme merging Paget’s pre-war charity work and the main agenda of post-war humanitarianism. In managing the mission’s activities, Paget distinguished between relief and rehabilitation. While rehabilitation practices were an extension of the pre-war work in which Paget had been involved, child welfare measures reflected the understanding of rehabilitation as a cultural colonization project. Accordingly, Paget envisaged the intervention of the mission as a necessary tool for ‘modernizing’ the attitudes of mothers and knowledge of local medical and paramedical personnel alike, and, therefore, enabling the growth of healthy young generations and the implementation of a new ‘modern’ mothering culture for both mothers and healthcare workers. In this, Paget’s Mission demonstrates significant continuity with analogous British humanitarian practices of that period as a particular intersection of liberal internationalism and imperialism.
Acknowledgements
The research was carried out in cooperation with Vytautas Magnus University.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. Barnett, Empire of Humanity; Branden Little, Band of Crusaders; Cabanes, The Great War and the Origins of Humanitarianism; Irwin, Making the World Safe; and Salvatici, Nel nome degli altri.
2. Baughan, “Every Citizen of Empire Implored to Save the Children!”; Baughan, “The Imperial War Relief Fund and the All British Appeal”; Baughan and Fiori, “Save the Children, the Humanitarian Project, and the Politics of Solidarity”; Kelly, British Humanitarian Activity in Russia; Jinks, ‘Making Good’ in the Near East; Mahood, Feminism and Voluntary Action; Möller, Paulmann, and Stornig, Gendering Twentieth-Century Humanitarianism: An Introduction; and Polk, “Constructive Efforts.”
3. Rodogno, Piana, and Gautier, “Shaping Poland.”
4. Herrmann, “Décrypter la concurrence humanitaire”; and Rodogno, “The American Red Cross.”
5. Blunt, Lady Muriel.
6. Baly, Florence Nightingale and the Nursing; Moeller, Paulmann, and Storning, Gendering Global Humanitarianism; Mahood, Feminism and Voluntary Action; and Midgley, Twells, and Carlier, eds, Women in Transnational History.
7. Colpus, Female Philanthropy in the Interwar World.
8. Malkki, “Children, Humanity, and the Infantilization of Peace,” 60.
9. Kind-Kovács, Budapest’s Children; Rodogno, Non-State Actors’ Humanitarian Operations; Rodogno, Piana, and Gautier, “Shaping Poland”; and Zahra, The Lost Children.
10. “A Woman’s Note Book,” Milwaukee Journal, July 26, 1894.
11. The Times, March 21, 1908.
12. The Times, July 1, 1915.
13. Blunt, Lady Muriel, 58.
14. Ibid., 57–100.
15. Ibid., 134.
16. Ibid., 135–48.
17. House of Commons, Minute of debates, August 16, 1920. Accessed May 30, 2023. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1920-08-16/debates/725d3ecf-10dd-47c0-a4fd-a5f0b1ecb86c/CommonsChamber.
18. Gorin, “Millions of Children in Deadly Peril,” 100.
19. Rychlök, Marzik, and Bielik, eds, R.W. Seton-Watson and His Relations.
20. The Times, September 18, 1919.
21. University of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library (UB CRL), EJ 90, Anglo-Czech Relief Fund letter [January 1920?].
22. Blunt, Lady Muriel, 174–89.
23. Ibid., 140.
24. UB CRL, EJ 68, London City Council letter to M. Paget, December 18, 1919.
25. Archive de l’Etat de Genève (AEG), Geneva, Switzerland, Archives privées (AP) 92.12.1, M. Paget’s Mission to Eastern Europe, Resume of work of mission from March 1920 to March 1921.
26. In Riga, about 96,000 workers were forced to relocate to inner Russia along with industrial facilities.
27. Liulevicius, War Land on the Eastern Front.
28. Gatrell, War, Population Displacement and State Formation; Priedite, “Latvian Refugees and the Latvian Nation State”; and Balkelis, “Nation-building and World War I Refugees.”
29. AEG, AP 92.3.20, Congrès des Oeuvres de Sécours aux enfants des pays éprouvés par la guerre, 2ème séance, September 23, 1921.
30. AEG, AP 92.12.2, Estonian Children’s Relief Association, Report [1921?].
31. UB CRL, EJ 68, Union Internationale de Secours aux Enfants, “La situation de la Lettonie,” October 2, 1922.
32. AEG, AP 92.3.22, Congrès des Oeuvres de Sécours aux enfants des pays éprouvés par la guerre, 2ème séance, September 23, 1921, 18–19.
33. Rapport. Aperçu sur l’activité de la Croix-Rouge de Latvie. Riga, 1921, p. 14.
34. See note 29.
35. AEG, AP 92.1.1, 14ème séance du Comité Executive de l’UISE, June 17, 1920, 19.535; AEG, AP 92.1.1, 30ème séance du Comité Executive de l’UISE, January 1, 1921, 19.643.
36. UB CRL, Folder “Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: General, 1920–21,” Anna Lindhagen’s report, August 1920.
37. AEG, AP 92.33.63, Suzanne Ferrière’s report, February 2, 1921; Rapport général sur l’activité de la Croix-Rouge Suédoise, 90.
38. AEG, AP 92.3.12, 3ème séance du Congrès des Oeuvres de Sécours aux enfants des pays éprouvés par la guerre, Geneva, February 27, 1920.
39. See note 36.
40. The Nursing Record and Hospital World 13, September 1, 1894.
41. See note 11.
42. Blunt, Lady Muriel, 138–9; and Mintalová Zubercová, “Sociálno-zdravotná situácia detí,” 133.
43. See note 22.
44. Baughan, Saving the Children, 19–31.
45. Blunt, Lady Muriel, 135–48.
46. UB CRL, EJ 68, W. C. Jameson’s letter to Mr Golden, February 13, 1920.
47. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget, Baltic Provinces: Preliminary Report on Conditions, Relief Work and Requirements [1/1921].
48. UB CRL, EJ 215, Report from Dvinsk, July 16, 1920.
49. See note 47.
50. UB CRL, EJ 215, L. Webster’s letter to M. Paget, May 17, 1920.
51. UB CRL, EJ 215, M. Paget’s Report from Dvinsk, July 16, 1920.
52. UB CRL, EJ 214, M. Paget’s letter to Mr Golden, September 21, 1920.
53. AEG, AP 92.3.12, 3ème séance du Congrès des Oeuvres de Sécours aux enfants des pays éprouvés par la guerre, Report of the Baltic States Commission, Geneva, February 27, 1920.
54. UB CRL, E J214, M. Paget’s letter to E. Jebb, September 15, 1920.
55. UB CRL, EJ 76, Latvian Red Cross, Report on the situation in Latvia, November 27, 1920.
56. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget’s letter to Mr Golden, July 4, 1921.
57. See note 47.
58. Ibid.
59. AEG, AP 92.3.20, 2ème Congrès des Oeuvres de Sécours aux enfants des pays éprouvés par la guerre, 4ème séance, April 9, 1921.
60. AEG, AP 92.3.20, 2ème Congrès des Oeuvres de Sécours aux enfants des pays éprouvés par la guerre, 4ème séance, April 9, 1921.
61. UB CRL, EJ 73, L. Webster’s letter to E. Jebb, March 16, 1921.
62. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget, Baltic Provinces, Child Welfare Work, April 5, 1921.
63. UB CRL, EJ 73, D. G. Nicholls, Reval Clinic, Report, June [1921].
64. UB CRL, EJ 73, H. Jameson’s letter to the International Save the Children Fund, January 29, 1921.
65. UB CRL, EJ 214, M. Paget’s letter to E. Jebb, September 15, 1920.
66. See note 47.
67. UB CRL, EJ 73, Coll. Crossfield’s letter to Mr. Golden, February 7, 1921.
68. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget’s Mission Clinics, February 1, 1921.
69. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget’s letter to Mr. Golden, February 9, 1921.
70. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget’s letter to Mr. Golden, July 5, 1921.
71. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget’s report on the New Zealand Clinic in Riga, June 9, 1921.
72. UB CRL, EJ 72, M. Paget, Child Welfare Centre Report, January 1922.
73. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget’s report to Mr Golden, July 5, 1921.
74. Lietuvos Centrinis Valstybės archivas (LCVA), Vilnius, Lithuania, F 1734, ap. 1, b. 27, Save the Children International Union letter, September 16, 1921, 20.
75. LCVA, F 1734, ap. 1, b. 27, W. A. MacKenzie’s letter, December 8, 1921, 7.
76. UB CRL, EJ 74, R. Šliūpas to A. MacKenzie, February 24, 1922.
77. LCVA, F 1734, ap. 1, b. 27, Lithuanian Red Cross letter, October 12, 1921, 187.
78. UB CRL, EJ 73, M. Paget, Baltic Provinces: Child Welfare Work, April 5, 1921.
79. UB CRL, Baltic States: Dr Armstrong Smith’s Reports, Armstrong Smith’s report (Latvia, Esthonia, Lithuania), July 20, 1921.
80. UB CRL, EJ 73, D. G. Nicholls, Riga Infant Welfare Centre Report, June 11, 1921.
81. UB CRL, EJ 73, Dvinsk Infant Welfare Centre, Report [July 1921].
82. UB CRL, EJ 70, Dorothy Clarke, Report of the Paget’s Mission in Kaunas, September 26, 1922.
83. UB CRL, EJ 72, Petseri Social Worker’s Report, November 8, 1921.
84. UB CRL, EJ 73, D. G. Nicholls’ Report, Reval Clinic, June [1921].
85. UB CRL, EJ 72, M. Paget’s letter to Mr Golden, July 4, 1921, UB CRL, EJ 73; Petseri Social Worker’s Report [1922].
86. UB CRL, EJ 72, Reval Child Welfare Centre Report, January 1922.
87. UB CRL, EJ 72, Petseri Welfare Centre Report, October 1921.
88. UB CRL, EJ 72, Tallinn Welfare Centre Report, January 25, 1922.
89. See note 86.
90. Kauno Regioninis Valstybės archyvas (KRVA), Kaunas (Lithuania), F 64, Ap.1, b. 71, Kaunas Welfare Centre Report, December 15, 1922, 10–11a.
91. See note 61.
92. UB CRL, EJ 72, Welfare Center in Riga, Report, October 1921.
93. UB CRL, EJ 72, Petseri Welfare Center Report, February 1922.
94. UB CRL, EJ 70, M. Paget’s letter to Mr Golden, November 6, 1922; UB CRL, EJ 72, M. Paget’s letter, November 30, 1921.
95. Eesti Rahvusarhiiv (Tallinn, Estonia), 957.11.981, M. Paget’s letter to A. Piip, November 29, 1921, 24–25.
96. UB CRL, EJ 70, M. Paget’s letter to Mr Golden, November 6, 1922.
97. UB CRL, EJ 70, R. Šliūpas’ letter to Paget’s mission, October 12, 1922.
98. See note 96.
99. KRVA, F 64, Ap. 1, b. 71, Kaunas City Council Minutes, January 9, 1923, 8.
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Andrea Griffante
Andrea Griffante is a senior research fellow at the Lithuanian Institute of History in Vilnius. After graduation he worked at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas. His last monograph is Children, Poverty and Nationalism in Lithuania, 1900-1940 (Cham: Palgrave, 2019). His research fields include history of humanitarianism, nation-building, history of childhood and social history of medicine with a focus on the Baltic Sea region.