INFLUENCE OF PEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 135, 9 June 1945, Page 8

INFLUENCE OF PEN

NAZI MOVES RESISTED

The work of the International PEN in the pre-war years and its influence for good in post-war reconstruction were matters spoken of by Dr. Canby, who is past president of the New York PEN, when responding to a welcome by the New Zealand centre of that organisation at the home of Sir James Elliott, president of the New Zealand PEN, yesterday afternoon. After a brief welcome by Sir James, Dr. Canby spoke of world congresses of the PEN, one in particular in 1933, when for the first time he realised the determined efforts of Nazi intellectuals to move the PEN towards their totalitarian point of view. After what he described as a memorable and most moving session the Hitlerite delegates were forced to withdraw from the congress. .The PEN had preserved its integrity. Dr. Canby said that the PEN would play its part in reconstruction. In one direction the American organisation was determined to rehabilitate some of the unfortunate writers who had been imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. Pressure groups had been busy raising funds for that purpose. He added that the American people were interested in New Zealand as never before. Those present would be agreeably surprised at the number, of American writers who would visit the Dominion.

Moving a vote of thanks to the visitor, Dr. Guy H. Scholefield referred to an earlier meeting with Dr. Canby at a PEN gathering in the Untied States, also to his own'experience oi attempts at Nazi infiltration, particularly at the PEN congress at Barcelona before the war. ''.'"' :.-Z