PACIFIC PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 16

PACIFIC PROBLEMS

Conference Impressions

THREE DELEGATES SPEAK

Three of the New Zealand delegates who attended the recent Institute of Pacific Relations Conference at Banff, and later the conference at Toronto dealing with the relations between the British Commonwealth of Nations, addressed the Wellington branch of the Institute of Pacific Relations in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute last evening. They were the Hon. W. Downie Stewart. Mr. W. Nash, M.P., and Miss JI. Seaton.

The chairman was Sir James Allen, who said that the Institute of Pacific Relations was not an organisation of Governments; It was an organisation of peoples.' He would appeal .to the public of New Zealand to give “H Its help in order that the Influence-of the. organisation might be felt, and that, it might continue- the splendid . Weikcarried on over the last eight or nine TOUTS* ■ ' Miss Seaton,-, speaking on -the subject of education, which, she said; was a first-essential if-.there-was |o be any, understanding between nations, said that at Banff the round table, began, with a discussion' on public opinion, and the effect of it on newspapers,radio, and-the cinema. Upon the ques-. tioii of censorship' arising, a British delegate asked.-if : it were necessary , to control public opinion. . An. American, In replv, thought that uncontrolled freedom of communication and radio would tend to emphasise conflicts, because people were naturally interested in such., .• After discussion, the conclusions arrived at were that the present methods' of- censoring news and films seemed ineffective, especially in regard to films shown to illiterate, native peo-, pies, and to those whose powers ot judgment were weak. There was a deplorable lack in all countries of true knowledge of other ■ countries and' cultures, and a nation must-cultivate a greater regard for other countries without losing its own national ideas. Mr. Nash dealt at some length with the present problems facing Japan, elaborating on. Mr. Downie Stewarts remarks, which are reported separately. Although the - problem. seemed impossible of solution, ho did not think in fact 'that, it was so. The solution lay with the other peopjesof the world rather than with Japan, and he saw one way only open to achieve that encl, and 'that was in the control and planning of ■ their-re-sources by the various nations of the world. One thing was quite certain: the more a country exported commodities of which it had a Surplus, and the more it, in turn, imported from other countries goods of which those countries had a surplus, so would those countries benefit. After a number of questions had been asked of the speakers "by riiembers of the audience, a vote of appreciation for the three addresses was moved by Dr. G. H. Scholefield, seconded by Dr. R. M. Campbell, and carried by acclamation.