TOPICS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 16

TOPICS OF THE DAY

(By "M.H.C.")

The phenomenal growth" of international organisation, especially in regardto those in which women form- a- part, is. mentioned in ."Dawn," the Western Australian women's-paper, with the hope and expectation that such organisations ■will make for the realisation of the ideal of the. "Brotherhood of Man" in the futnre. The signs of the times seem to be that there are many fine leading spirits which are working for the de« velopment of a w,orld consciousness which seeks to embrace in a sympathy and understanding the nations of the earth, to bear witness to the prophetic words of Edith Cavell, "Patriotism is not enough." It must be just the cor-ner-stons of all great national life, but it cannot be the whole edifice. The great international, gathering of women in Home, which will take place this year'in May, from the 12th to the 19th, inclusive, is expected to be of exceptional Interest and value. Twenty-eight countries will be represented, and a special feature will be the delegation- from the East—from India, China, and Japan— the first time that Indian women willanswer the roll-call of . enfranchised ■women citizens. Signor Mussolini, Prime Ministe* of Italy, an outstandingly interesting person to-day, has promised to receive a delegation from the Congress, the meetings of which will be held in the well-known ..Hotel Quirinal, with a great gathering in the Palazze del Esposizione via Nationale. It is to be hoped that some day, in the near future. New Zealand will have her representative at such meetings; the only bar being the economic difficulties which, beset the' jfomen's societies in this country.. 'A point wjiich would have been well [worth developing was mentioned at the lecent meeting of those interested in the formation of an'English-Speaking Union, teing that of the provision of lecturers and students from other parts of the world in exchange %vith those from New pealand. An ignorance, broad and deep, oi c the politics, necessities, and prejudices; pi other nations, and even of branches of thi9 British nation, pervades the minds of a very large majority of the men and women of the day. Ignorance naturally leads to a misunderstanding and indifference—and so much trouble arises. It jwould surely be a splendid thing if first- 1 class lecturers from Central Europe, the Near East, Russia, Japan, CBina, and America were definitely engage 3to tour distant.lands, not. with the purpose 4>f "pushing any political barrow," but to give a plain and unvarnished account <C»f the various countries, with a personal fctiowledge of what they were talking about. Thus the New Zealanders and Australians, who are not in a position to travel and make impressions" for themselves, would gain a marvellously .piEefal education, which would make for the establishment.of. a peace in a way that no other means could accomplish. i'Xo know all is to understand all," is an old saying, and what-better cause for ;jirar is. there than selfish misunderstanding? 'If the affairs of nations were put before the people, and they were left to form their own conclusions, without politioal bias, much good might. accrue, and muoh harm be prevented. It is a pity that all earnest people who are longJag and. yearning for the-certainty of peaca cannot realise that it.must be a matter 'of education and evolution, not to be accomplished till those educated On the lines laid down by the Sermon <pn the Mount come into power and influence. A great clearing put of commercial, political, and individual selfishness must occur'before such/certainty comes Jo the world. Quite a wonderful work is being accomplished by womenl in various parts 'of Australia in the way of welcoming &nd helping those who come to their land as immigrants. . These women real- ■ ise that there are vast tracts of country ! nnoocupied in their huge continent, and that it would be better from an industrial and social point of view if these were occupied. The good economic development of the different States is a matter of great importance to all the people therein, • so the women of the Social Service Guild, which is a great organisation, have thrown their talent and kindness into the work, with very fine results. Both men and women, and people of all classes, come under the kindly care of the members of the guild, and stories are told of the thankfulness of boys and girls placed in lonely situations, who are able to get into touch with kind people in their adopted land. In some cases the help and counsel given have been urgently necessary to prevent the wreck of lives, and the importance and scope of the work is beyond praise or comprehension. Headingi an article, by Mrs. Helena ] Wormanton in an illustrated paper is a. quaint reproduction of an old picture from- "Nicholas Nickleby" (Dickens), wlhich shows poor Madame Mantelini and her scamp of a spendthrift and unfaithful husband in the presence of Ealph Nicldeby, the lawyer. Madame has made up her mind that she cannot stand the worry of her husband any longer, and - proposes to separate , from him. Ealph Nickleby grimly remarks: "You know that a married woman has no rights £b her property, Madame," and Mantelini chimes in cheerfully with, '''No, not to one single, demnition little bean"; so Dickens presented to his ;world yet another of life's little tragedies •which .the women of the time had to endure. In the reading and study of the wonderful books of this masterwriter it is most interesting and touching to realise his love for humanity, which made him seek out the "seamy Bides" of the apparently smooth-surfaced world, and expose it to the surprised and unknowing people. If he had simply given lectures or had written treatises he would not have had a hundredth part of the audience that he secured by his human stories. The horrors of Chancery, in "Bleak House"; the cunning and' system of the London thieves, and the 1 abuses of the workhouses in "Oliver Twist"; the tragedy of bld-maidism and unhappy marriage in i "Martin Chuzzlewitt ; the convict system in i"Groat -Expectations" ; the ./Yorkshire schools, in "Nicholas Nickleby"; the separate tragedies of Mrs. Copperfield and Little Em'ly in "David Copperfield"; and many more-- larger and smaller abuses and tragedies of life, all came under the observation and wonderful pen of the master-writer, and must have done a great deal of _good in thePwbrld"of his day. It is a great pity. that. the study of Dickens'is not part, of the literature class of every gohool. From him could be learnt much of "how not to do things," for his jJndly severity i» most convincing.