WORKING FOR PEACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 236, 5 October 1936, Page 11

WORKING FOR PEACE.

PART PLA YEP BY WOMEN. ADDRESS TO INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE. A morning reception in honour of Mrs. Alfred Watt, M.A., 0.8. E., was organised by the international circle of the Lyceum Club on Saturday morning: The guest of honour, who was accompanied by Miss Betty Smart, of Ottawa, was welcomed on behalf of the Lyceum Club by the president, Lady Wilson, and on behalf of the international circle by the convener, Mrs. F. Bauer. "I cannot believe," said Mrs. Watt, "that the peace of the world would not be safe in the hands of women. Women's influence cannot be for anything but good. We ourselves have seen many blunders, we have seen important gestures for peace made, but not noticed, but women are not in the habit of letting opportunities go by. They understand the psychological moment because from the very circumstances of their life they are accustomed to seizing the moment." Mrs. Watt pointed out the inconsistency that although women were giving such a conspicuous example of citizenship, the very places where they could do moro Tor humanity, for instance, the League of Nations, were shut to them. Public men, she said, had expressed the opinions of their Governments in the councils of the world, but they had not in any way been the voice of the men and women of the country, the average people. She urged that if the common sense of the countiy were allowed to come to the surface through the women as well as through the men, the feeling in the world would be quite different. "The woman in the family," said Mrs. Watt, speaking of the part played by country women in international affairs, "who brings up her children without ignorance or prejudice towards otliei countries, is doing a vastly important work. We know that it is not just the quickest thing to do; but we also know that international goodwill must begin with the individual and that from the individual through the family to the community is the surest basis for work for peace." Through the women's institutes and the countrywomen's associations, the speaker explained, the countrywomen's organisations had become international, and in the past six years had made a spectacular rise to prominence. This was shown by the fact that at the second triennial conference, held recently in Washington, there were 7000 women present. The women who attended were actuated not only by their tremendous desire to meet women from other countries, but also because they felt that the meeting had something to do with peace. The significance of this, Mm. Watt said, was very great, and made iono wonder what women in councils of the world could not do. "In November," the speaker continued, "every institute and every countrywomen's association will hold an international day when world affairs will be discussed. This is part of a great world movement and should prove to women that the good they do does not stop at home; it is a movement that is putting a leaven of something sweet and. wholesome into small communities and thus spreading into larger communities. By this means the principles which form the basis of these women's" organisations should spread throughout the world/' Prior to Mrs. Watt's address, enjoyable solos were rendered by Mrs. Harold Owers and Miss Nancye Ha una, accompaniments being played by Mrs. R. Reed. Mrs. Bauer, in thanking the speaker for her inspiring endorsed her remarks on the subject of peace and showed how intimately the aims of the international circle were linked up with the aims of the countrywomen's associations. She then presented Mrs. Watt with a lovely bouquet of spring flowers.