Edward Holton James

Edward Holton James was born on November 18, 1873, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. His parents were Robertson James and Mary Lucinda Holton. He was related to notable literary and philosophical figures, being the nephew of philosopher William James and novelist Henry James. During his early years, James relocated to Concord, Massachusetts, where he spent a significant part of his life.

James attended Harvard University, graduating in 1896. In December 1899, he married Mary Louisa Cushing, a member of the Cushing family of Boston. The couple had three daughters: Olivia, Mary, and Louisa, the latter of whom later married the sculptor Alexander Calder.

From 1900 to 1906, James practiced law in Seattle, Washington. Subsequently, he moved to France and became the publisher of the Paris-based journal *The Liberator*. In late 1910, the journal published an article about King George V, which resulted in the criminal libel conviction of Edward Mylius in 1911.

In 1915, at the onset of World War I, James traveled to Berlin and engaged with various socialists. The German authorities advised him not to cross into Holland, threatening imprisonment if he did. According to his nephew George Vaux, James disobeyed these restrictions; disguised as a day laborer and carrying two violins, he crossed the Belgium frontier past a drunken sentry and returned to Berlin. He remained there for approximately two weeks before being re-arrested by police and detained as a political prisoner during the war.

In 1927, James participated in a demonstration on Boston Common in support of Sacco and Vanzetti. During the event, he reportedly shouted anti-police slogans and was arrested after assaulting a police officer.

During the early 1930s, James authored two books on Mahatma Gandhi and traveled to India in March 1931 to meet with Gandhi and attend sessions of the All India National Congress. In the 1940s, influenced by ideas from American fascist writer Lawrence Dennis, he led a nationalist organization known as the Yankee Freemen. In 1943, he published a book titled *I Am a Yankee*, through the Yankee Freemen Movement.

In the 1950s, James collaborated with the Duke of Bedford to publish *The Word* in Glasgow, which was edited by Guy A. Aldred. Over his lifetime, James undertook numerous international activities and projects.

James was also a dedicated violinist with a distinctive approach to playing. Due to his short fingers, he modified his instruments by shortening the necks to facilitate reaching the strings. This modification resulted in a unique and high-pitched style of music, often described as "high squeaks." His nephew Vaux noted his unconventional practice routines, and his son-in-law Alexander Calder recalled that James played the violin "atrociously but assiduously."

Edward Holton James died on October 3, 1954, at the home of one of his daughters in Massachusetts. He was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. His papers and personal documents are preserved at the Houghton Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

**Selected Publications:**

- *The Trial Before Pilate* (1909)

- *Crossroads in Europe: (a word for minorities)* (1929)

- *Gandhi the Internationalist* (1930)

- *Gandhi or Caesar?* (1930)

- *I Tell Everything: The Brown Man's Burden* (1931)

- *Jesus for Jews: a History* (1934)

- *I Am a Yankee* (1943)