LUNCHEON MEETING

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22357, 22 March 1938, Page 2

LUNCHEON MEETING

MISS K. COURTNEY WELCOMED ADDRESS ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Miss Kathleen Courtney, secretary of the Women’s Peace Committee at Geneva, v/as welcomed to Christchurch yesterday at a luncheon given at Ballantynes by members of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women. Miss M, G. Havelaar (president), in welcoming Miss Courtney, said that their guest came at an opportune time, and her personal knowledge of other countries and their problems would be of great assistance to the women of New Zealand, giving them a greater insight into world affairs, and helping them to form their own opinions. It was natural for people to think nationally, but it was also necessary that they should think internationally, and women as well as men had to lace the facts. Miss Hcvelaar also extended a welcome to the Mayoress (Mrs J. W. Beanland), Miss Edith Lyttleton (G. B. Lancaster), and other distinguished guests. In the course of her address, Miss Courtney said that from her point of view the time was not opportune but difficult for her tour, for since her arrival in New Zealand, the crises in world affairs had begun to occur. It was difficult to see what they involved when she was cut off from her ordinary sources of information. At the present time the spotlight should turn to Austria, and what had brought about the events of the last few days—what they meant, and what they might lead to. Miss Courtney spoke briefly of the Austria that had been set up by peace treaties. Before 1919, it had been known as the ramshackle union because there had been little or no cohesion between its component parts. Had it been well governed, Austria might have been an empire to-day. The peace treaties asserted that this Austria which they had created was to have inalienable independence. When the speaker had visited Austria after the Great War, the question that seemed to be uppermost was whether the kind of nation that had been set uo could exist economically at all. Dictators had started to rise, and with dictatorship there began a new phase of Austria’s hapless history. Austrians Not Germans Herr Hitler had repeatedly announced that he intended to Incorporate in the German Reich all people be chose to call German. “In my opinion Austrians are not Germans,” said the speaker; “speaking a language is no criterion of your nationality,” Austria had always been the prey of forces outside. This constant disorder and unrest were vexw much at variance with the natural characteristics of the friendly, courteous, cultivated and artistic Austrians, and the charm of their nature had almost been crushed out of them—that had been one of the sins of post-war times. It had been hoped that Austria would retain her independence, and be able to avoid the clash between two dictators. Italy had become much too weak to oppose the other dictator, for she had been engaged In too many adventures at the same time. It had often been said that troubled waters were good waters to fish in. There had been Intervention in Spain and Palestine, and there had been the recent trouble between Poland and Lithuania. The immediate danger was of Hitler attempting in some way to get hold of Czechoslovakia, said Miss Courtney. “Violence will go' on prevailing if we allow it to do so,” she added, and pointed out that all these recent uprisings were connected. The facts had to be faced. In England, people were wondering what the Dominions were going to say hoping that they would bring something new and fresh to help discussions. The Dominions should not wait until they knew what England was going to say, and then say something like it themselves. It was necessary to rally the world to stand firm i» respect for treaties, regard for international law, and justice for all, said Miss Courtney in conclusion. Miss Mildred Trent, Dominion president of the National Council of Women, welcomed Miss Courtney on behalf of the Dominion Council, and said that her visit would stimulate women of New Zealand to more interest in International affairs. Mrs B. H. Gilmour, representing the Young Women’s Christian Association, invited all present to attend the civic reception to Miss Courtney at noon to-day, and to the “at home” in Latimer Hall this afternoon. In the afternoon, Miss Courtney gave an address to secondary school pupils, and in the evening she was/the guest speaker at a tea meeting of the Young Business Women’s Round Table Club.