SOCIALISM

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The full text of Maurice’s lecture was printed posthumously on pp.268-299 of his ‘The Friendship of Books and Other Lectures’ (1880). Although reset, the text of the present six-page synopsis does not appear to differ from that printed on pp.328-333 of the ‘Notices of the Proceedings’, vol.2 (1854-1858). No other copy of this offprint has been traced. In very good condition, lightly aged. Drophead title: ‘Royal Institution of Great Britain. / Weekly Evening Meeting, / Friday, January 30, 1857. / William Pole, Esq. M.A. F.R.S.

Two scarce pieces of wartime ephemera. See her entry, and that of her husband, in the Oxford DNB. The former explains how, during the Second World War, Lady Cripps was president of the British United Aid to China Fund, and that in 1946 ‘she undertook an extensive and arduous tour of China’, being entertained by both Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong. The journey was ‘one of 30,000 miles which included travel by air, sea, road, rail, and truck. Most of the great cities of China were visited and to see co-operative work in rural areas the Gansu Desert was crossed by lorry.

She her entry, and that of her husband, in the Oxford DNB. Throughout her life she inspired a range of responses. The ‘Labour Leader’ described her as a ‘second Annie Besant’, while Manny Shinwell dismissed her as ‘the would-be Sarah Bernhardt of the party’; to Lord Reith, during her time as a BBC governor, she was ‘the Scarlet Woman’. The present eight items are in good condition, lightly aged, and all folded for postage. A total of eleven typed pages (4to, 12mo and 16mo) and one page in 4to autograph. All signed ‘Ethel Snowden’.

The fourteen items are laid down on three pages, on two leaves of grey paper, removed from an album, on the reverse of one leaf are two coloured coaching scenes by Randolph Caldecott, one featuring a highwayman. The overall condition is fair, with creasing and signs of age. The Autograph Letter Signed is from Crane to 'My dear Stanley Little'. 1p., landscape 8vo. With letterhead of Beaumont Lodge, Shepherd's Bush, featuring an illustration by Crane of a shepherd and sheep. 20 September 1892.

3pp, 16mo. Bifolium. 25 lines of text. In good condition, on thin paper, with minor staining from label to mount. Signed ‘Louis Blanc’. The salutation is ‘Cher Monsieur’. The recipient, who is not named, is presumably a bookseller. He is returning two of the books, keeping only the ‘Cabinet Lawyer’, whose price he asks. He wants to acquire a copy of the latest edition of ‘la Biographie des contemporains de M. Vapereau’: ‘naturellement plus complète, et où beaucoup d’erreurs se trouvent, je suppose, corrigées’.

See Sidney Webb's entry in the Oxford DNB, now unaccountably placed within that of his wife. From the papers of Arthur George Liddon Rogers (1864-1944), son and editor of the economist Thorold Rogers [James Edwin Thorold Rogers] (1823-1890), for information regarding whom see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The three items in good condition, lightly aged. Each folded once. All three signed ‘Sidney Webb’; the first to ‘Sir’, the second to ‘My dear Rogers’, and the third to ‘Dear Rogers’. ONE: 22 September 1891. 4pp, 12mo.

See Wallas’s entry in the Oxford DNB. From the papers of Arthur George Liddon Rogers (1864-1944), son and editor of the economist Thorold Rogers [James Edwin Thorold Rogers] (1823-1890), for information regarding whom see his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. The conclusion of the letter only. Reads: ‘[...] extracts enclosed - / Edgeworth says he will look out for materials for you. / Sincerely / Graham Wallas / 32 Great Ormond St / W. C. / May 10 -’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Thomas Lloyd Humberstone (1876-1957) was an educationalist and prominent member of the Convocation of the University of London. The booklet referred to is his ‘The Public School Question’, which he printed himself in 1943. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads. ‘Dear Humberstone / Thanks for your booklet on the Public Schools which I have read with interest / Yours truly / F W Pethick Lawrence’.

Having made the first state visit to the United Kingdom by an American President, 26 to 28 December 1918, Wilson was in Europe at the opening of the Paris Peace Conference, which would result in the League of Nations and Treaty of Versailles. The present letter presents in forthright terms the Republican position on his activities in the aftermath of the First World War. 5pp, 12mo. On five leaves of letterheads of the Hotel Del Monte, California (‘Carl S. Stanley, Manager’). In postmarked envelope from the Hotel (stamps torn away), addressed to ‘Mr. P. A.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The valediction of a typed letter, on slip of paper, 8.5 x 3.5 cm. Somewhat creased, and with two thin printed slips ‘DIRECTOR | R. H. TAWNEY, B.A.’ and ‘London School of Economics’) laid down near the signature (‘R H Tawney’), above which is typed ‘Yours very sincerely,’.

Two pages, 12mo, bifolium, trimmed without loss of text, and remants on left margin of tipping in something like an album. Remerciez pour moi, je vous prie, l'auteur de la brochure que vous voulez bien me faire tenir. Charles, qui se propose de vous aller voir incessament vous envoie ce qu'il a écrit sur la mélancholie [underlined] d'Albert Durer, dans l'Histoire des Peintres [underlined]. Veuillez me renvoyer, quand vous en trouverez, l'occasion, ce numéro, qui fait partie de ma collection. | Charles se joint à moi pour vous serrer la main cordialement.

Joad's rise and fall are admirably described in Jason Tomes' entry on him in the Oxford DNB. The present letter was written after the disgrace which followed his 1948 conviction for fare-dodging. Not only was Joad dropped from the programme which had made him a nationwide celebrity, 'The Brains Trust', as a result, but his well-founded hopes of a peerage were dashed. It is interesting to note from the present letter that Joad continued to work for the BBC after his disgrace. The letter is 2pp, landscape 12mo. In fair condition, aged and creased, with two punch-holes at head.

Both 1p, 4to, and in good condition, lightly aged and folded once. Both letters addressed to Hodes at Beit Rosenberg, Keron Heyesod Street, Herzlia-on-Sea, Israel. The subject of the letters is Centre 42, the touring arts group Wesker formed to bring culture to the masses on his release from prison, following a sentence for civil disobedience with the Committee of 100 in opposition to nuclear weapons. The group moved to the Roundhouse in London in 1964.

The present letter relates to the founding by Davitt – who inspired Mahatma Gandhi – of the newspaper 'Labour World', in which he was an early promoter of the British Labour Party. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded once. The reverse of the second leaf carries a full-page engraving of the 'Arundel Hotel, | Victoria Embankment, Strand, W.C.' He begins by informing Knox that 'Mr Stead' has handed him his 'favour to him of the 12th. inst.' He continues: 'The paper alluded to in the Review of Reviews is not to be started in Ireland.

1p., 4to. The salutation 'My dear Rowe,' and the valediction 'Yours sincerely | Hugh Gaitskell' are in Gaitskell's autograph, written in red ink; the rest of the letter is typed. Aged and worn, with discoloration and a small insect crushed onto a blank part. Reads: 'Many thanks for your kind Christmas note and good wishes.

A plain 'Carte Postale', with the address, with three postmarks, on one side (coloured lilac), reading 'Mrs. A. H. Green | Rosa House, Church Walks | Llandudno | N. Wales | Angleterre'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with central horizontal crease. He is sorry to hear of her 'continuing illness', and hopes 'the air of Wales' will do her good. 'Dolgam is a farm-house about 2 or 3 miles below Capel Curig towards Bettws[sic]-y-Coed. I can quite recommend it. Mrs. Jones is (or was) the landlady. The air is probably not so bracing as some places as it lies in a sheltered hollow.

2pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The recipient is not named or addressed, the letter starting abruptly after the date: 'I like your portrait much. Thanks for sending it. Yes, the people are [last word underlined] fools, and the mills of God grind slowly. Nevertheless the work is not lost, and its outcome is sure. It is no good bothering about special results. They must take their own way (generally to the Crematorium!) but all the while something is being built up, wh.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Obtrusive stamp at head giving the date of receipt as 28 November 1979, with this date queried in ink. Benn's signature underlined by the recipient in thin red ink. Reads: 'Dear Mrs Kingham: | Forgive the delay. | My life-style is that of a very hard-working M.P. with a wife who teaches & writes & 4 children educated at comprehensive schools. | You shouldn't believe the rubbish you read in the press.'

7pp., 12mo. On two bifoliums. In good condition, lightly aged. She feels she has 'two reasons for approaching' Bondfield, at the time Minister of Labour: 'I believe you are a Somerset woman, & know that you are interested in the question of housing.' She hopes that 'in any plans for bettering housing conditions that this government may make, the state of rural workers' homes may not be overlooked. You are probably as familiar as I am with the horrors of the “Country Slum”.

'The Reason Why', 'The Eastern Ukase of 1905', 'The Coming Revolution in Russia', 'The Soldier of Russia' and 'Some Aspects of Russian Life'. Manuscript corrections. The six works by 'Joubert' listed on COPAC appeared between 1904 and 1906, and it is reasonable from the context to assume that these five items date from the same period. All five items clear and complete, with all text on one side only of A4 leaves. The first four in fair condition, on aged paper, and in worn brown card bindings. The fifth item unbound and with the first and last leaves worn and grubby.

8pp., 12mo. Stitched pamphlet. Aged, and with central vertical fold. A call for 'political instructors who shall [...] impress the first principles of political morality on the minds of the newly-enfranchised masses'.

26pp., 8vo, disbound, lacking wraps, title detached and grubby, with annotation by librarian and blind stamp of Wigan Free LIbrary, contents good condition. WorldCat lists copies at University of London and University of Wisconsin, but LSE have a copy in the Beveridge papers.

32pp., landscape 12mo (8.5 x 13.5 cm). Stitched in grey printed wraps. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with front wrap detached and lightly marked. Wodehouse is named as author on front cover, but not on title-page. Laid out in the form of a fourteen-page catechism of 28 points, followed by 'Notes and Illustrations from Various Writers'. Pertinent as ever, in its criticism of 'excessive inequality in the partition of wealth'. COPAC only lists three copies of the first edition of 1878. Of the eight copies of the second 1884 edition on COPAC, six are listed as being printed by 'F.

24pp., 12mo. Stapled. In good condition, with light signs of age. A wartime pamphlet, the latest reference in which is to 'the "demonstration" vote of the Socialist Party in the Reichstag, July, 1918, against the Budget', and thus written between that date and the end of the war. The author's message is summed-up in his conclusion: 'Franz Mehring is right in declaring that the old German Social Democracy is dead.

16pp., 12mo. Disbound without wraps. In fair condition, lightly aged. Drophead title only (full publication details presumably on missing front wrap).

15 + [1]pp., 12mo. Disbound without wraps. In fair condition, on aged paper. Publisher's advertisement on last page. 'The following speech was delivered in the course of a debate in the Paris Chamber on the Roubaix Municipal Drug Stores, when a Reactionary Deputy, M. Bouge, very incautiously asked the Socialists "to explain whaht they really do want." Guesde at once marched to the rostrum, and, without preparation, delivered the following.'

16pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. Drophead title. The three letters are titled 'The Pillars of the State', 'The Common Kennel' and 'Priest and Samaritan'. A final piece, titled 'The Bishop of Manchester as a Socialist' is subtitled 'Reprinted from the "Clarion," of November 4th, 1893.' Scarce.

31pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. On aged and discoloured paper. Begins: 'Certain of the propagandists of Socialism teach their disciples that the economic condition of the industrial classes would be no whit improved by the total abandonment on their part of harmful drinking and other wasteful practices, inasmuch as the money thereby saved would, by the operation of an "iron law," inevitably be deducted from wages or added to rent. Is this sound doctrine? Let us see.' Scarce: no copy in the British Library.

24pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Divided into five sections: 'Atheism and Social Order', 'Indications of a Great Struggle', 'Orthodox Misrepresentation', 'The Horrors of the French Revolution' and 'The Causes of the Excesses'. Scarce: only two copies on WorldCat and no copies on COPAC.

31 + [1]pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. In fair condition, on aged paper, with some leaves separating. The fourth and last chapter is a piece of futurology, titled 'The Battle of London; Or, The Last Great Struggle Between the Classes and the Masses.' It begins: 'It was in the year 2000 that the masses took possession of London. For twenty years before they had been preparing.