TRAVEL CLUB

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25916, 23 September 1949, Page 2

TRAVEL CLUB

ADDRESS BY MISS M. MCLEAN

“Honolulu is the loveliest, place I have ever been to.” said Miss Mary McLean at a meeting of the Canterbury Travel Club yesterday morning. Miss McLean, who was one of the 11 New Zealand delegates to the Pan Pacific conference in Honolulu, returned to Christchurch recently. “The drives —not streets—in the residential areas, are like a fairyland. On each side of the drives are flowering shrubs, covered with blossom for fcur months of the year ” she said. “The drives are never allowed to become untidy with the petals from the blossom trees. A woman’s outdoor organisation attends to the sweeping up of the petals.” Miss McLean said that the persons she had met in Honolulu were charming and hospitable. “The Asiatics own Honolulu,” she said “They hold all the best positions, they live in the most fashionable quarters, and they are the best dressed, most influential, and best educated section of the community.” Referring to the conference Miss McLean said that eight nations were represented. The 65 delegates met and worked for 10 hours each day. “We were billeted in a community house —a three or four-storey building which held about 100 persons,” she continued. One roonl was set aside specially for the New Zealand delegates. who initiated many of the other delegates into the habit of tea drinking. Miss McLean said that the delegate from Japan, who did not arrive in Honolulu until the day the conference ended because of passport difficulties, was given the opportunity of speaking to the conference in the evening. She said that American occupation had made a great difference in .Japan, specially from a woman’s point ’of view. The conditions for women workers were better. and one million women in Japan now belonged to a recently formed trade union. “I was most impressed with the delegates from China, Mrs Mei, who was a fluent speaker,” Miss McLean said Mrs Mei had the impression that the men of her country were regarded as communists. This was not so, according to Mrs Mei, because they were too spiritual. Mrs Mei had said that in the East care was given to elderly persons in their own homes —it was not left for others to do. Miss McLean said that Mrs Mei recommended the same treatment of elderly persons to her western colleagues. “We were entertained lavishly all th? time we were in Honolulu,” Miss McLean continued. “The Chinese consul and his young Chinese wife gave us a most enjoyable party. Although we ate funny little bits of food it was a most formal and spectacular occasion. Another evening we were the guests of the Daughters of the British Empire Club. On this occasion, as delegates from the outposts of the British Empire, we felt greatly honoured. The chef who had made Princess Elizabeth’s wedding cake, and who was staying in Honolulu at that time made us a special cake,” Miss McLean said. During the morning songs were sung by Mrs Anita Ritchie, who was accompanied by Mrs J. C. Cullman. A welcome was extended to the visitors by Mrs Harold Goggin and Miss M. Enright thanked Miss McLean and the artists.