Director of Women's Welfare Services in Japan Home on Leave

Evening Star, Issue 26155, 17 July 1947, Page 11

Director of Women's Welfare Services in Japan Home on Leave

TOPICS FOR WOMEN

Miss Muriel Wilson, who is director of Women’s Welfare Services for the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan, has just returned to New Zealaud on a short vacation. Miss Wilson, who holds the courtesy rank of lieutenant-colonel, left the Dominion six years ago for the Middle East, and since then has been stationed in India, Ceylon, and Japan with the Y.W.C.A. Welfare Services. . The country of Japan is ready for the right type of people to help and lead it, said Miss Wilson to a ‘ Star ’ reporter. Tired of the military power that led them to disaster, the Japanese are eager to learn to improve their position, and are very interested to know what it is that makes the allied people what they are. “ They will say, ‘ Is it because you are Chris-

tians that you are so kind?’ ” said Miss Wilson. There was at first, she went on, a fear of what treatment they would receive, for after all they had been propaganda-fed for so long, but that was soon dispelled, and they began to show a definite willingness to co-oper-ate and to. be educated to Westren ways. ’ . The women of Japan are to-day very eager to better themselves and to take their place with other women in the world, continued Miss Wilson, and now that they have been granted a vote, at the elections it is highly probable that they will become a strong liberalising influence. , The people, hungry, and suffering greatly from the hardship of the war years, seem to be realising the kindness of the’ Europeans, said Miss Wilson.

Tho occupation troops were doing a great job, and morq food was becoming available. Vegetables were being grown, and phosphates, etc., from New Zealand were being used to " pep up ” the soil for production. Miss Wilson said there was no wasted land in Japan, every square foot of hillside, valley, or odd corner being cultivated. Miss Wilson referred to the vast work of..the’Y.W.C.A. and its organisation in the matter of English _ classes for Japanese women and training in European ways In Miss Wilson’s opinion Japanese , girls are quick to learn and eager to please. The younger Japanese women are extremely fond of Western clothes. Under \ r .W.C.A. supervision there have been established various permanent leave hostels and drop-in clubs for servicemen and servicewomen, their families, and others. Miss Wilson, who left Dunedin yesterday for her home town, Christchurch, expects to return to her work in .Japan almost immediately.