PACIFIC INSTITUTE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 29, 3 August 1925, Page 7

PACIFIC INSTITUTE

"NOT A PACIFIST ORGANI-

SATION"

STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL

PROBLEMS,

Among the passengers who arrived by the Maunganui from Sydney this morning was Professor J. B. Cohdliffe, Professor of Economics at Canterbury College, who, as a member of the New Zealand group, attehded the conference of the Institute of Pacific, Relations at tlonolulu recently.

The organisation, stated Professor Condliflo to a "Post" reporter this morning, was originally in the hands ot the Y.M.CA.j aiid the New Zealand group was selected by the New Zealand V.M.C.A. National Committee. On arrival at Honolulu, however, it was found that a chaiigc llftd taken place in the organisation which had passed completely out of.the control of the V.M.C.A., and rested mainly in the hand's of softie prominent academic leaders in the United .States. As a result of the conference a permanent institute was formed. The president of this body is Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur president of the Lelahd-Stan-ford University, and brothel- to the present Secretary of the United Staton Navy. Among ot)ier prominent members in the American group Was Mr. Oeorgo CraftOn Wilson, Professor of International Law at Harvard University, head of the Naval Law College, and lor hiany years legal adviser to the United Statcß Navy. As legal adviser to thte United' States Government, Professor Wilson actually drafted the Washington Pact, which is the basis of international relations in the Pacific. _ The remainder of the American delegation consisted 01 prominent academicians, journalists, ami business men. There were strong delegations also from China, and Japan. The discussions at the conference were held behind closed doors in order that a chance- re-mark given publicity outside 61 its proper setting might not do damage to the cause of the institute. The discussions were really of a preliminary elisu'a-titer, mainly designed to facilitate the formation of a' permanent body. No resolutions of any kind were passed by the institute beyemi one of thanks to the people of Hawaii for their generous hospitality. "The institute," said Professor Oondliffe, "is in no sense of th* word a pacifist organisation. It aims to build up in each of the Pacific countries an organisation for study of the real facto of international problems, aftd to organise periodical conferences in which men of influence and standing frortl these countries can meet to discuss ways nnd means of building up such an international organisation on the basis of the Washington Treaties as may prevent the possibility of war. Tho "institute is assured of ample funds from the United States and Hawaii, and I bnve been given the task of organising a branch in New Zealand."