INTERESTS OF DELEGATES

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26633, 19 January 1952, Page 2

INTERESTS OF DELEGATES

AMERICANS WRITING FOR NEWSPAPERS Mrs Burnett Mahon, of New York City, a tall, graceiul woman, who arrived in Christchurch last week to attend the Pan-Pacific women's conference, became ill upon her arrival and until yesterday was unable to attend the meetings of the conference. She believes that there are not enough women in public life in the United States. They are not adequately represented chiefly because women and women’s organisations do not realise the influence and importance of the role they could and should play when they are part of a democratic country. Mrs Mahon is an ardent worker for the betterment of her fellow countrymen, and for the whole world. In 1949 she was a delegate to the PanPacific Women’s Conference in Honolulu, and she is an executive member of several non-governmental women’s organisations in New York. Since she relinquished the post of director of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation her chief interest has been in the United Nations. She is consultant for the International Alliance of Women at the Economic and Social Council of United Nations, national chairman of the committee of Women in World Affairs, and a mem-

ber of the liaison committee of the Women’s International organisations. Mrs Mahon will address the conference on Wednesday morning on "Social Conditions and Political Tensions.”

That some Americans are taking an interest in the Pan-Pacific conference is shown by the fact that two delegates are contributing articles on iis findings to the papers in the United States—Mrs A. C. Pretteys, of Colorado, who is writing for two weekly papers owned by herself and her son. and for the “Denver Times,” and Mrs J. L. Conway, formerly of Honolulu, and now of Santa Barbara, California, who is paying her second visit to Christchurch. Mrs Conway, who is greatly interested in adult education, considers that women can do more for the peace of the world than ambassadors. She will contribute articles on the conference to the “Christian Science Monitor.” . Another delegate interested in journalism is a diminutive and attractive woman from Cambodia. She is Miss Sim-Vansy, who is employed at the Ministry of Information in Cambodia- and edits a women’s paper issued by the Government. She is the first woman to be engaged by the Ministry of Information and the first woman to be employed on a newspaper in her country, where there is some prejudice against women holding such positions. Miss Sim-Vansy. who does not speak English, but converses fluently in French, is now studying law. A very interesting, but very modest delegate is Mrs Willowdean Handy, from Hawaii, an ethnologist v'ho has done research work in Oceania. Asia and the Far East. She is librarian for the Hawaii Historical Society, and president of the Hawaii branch of the United Nations Association, and she was Bishop Museum delegate to the jo 2 C g c Science Congress in Tokyo in