WOMEN’S AFFAIRS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 221, 16 August 1928, Page 7

WOMEN’S AFFAIRS.

PACIFIC CONFERENCE.

TRIBUTE TO WOODROW WILSON.

(Australian Press Association.) Received August 16, 9.5 a.m. HONOLULU, Aug. 14.

Mrs Britomarte James (Victoria, Australia) paid a tribute to the late Mr Woodrow Wilson at the Women’s Pan-Pacific Conference. She referred to -him as the sponsor of the Leaguo of Nations and the friend of womankind. Miss Mildred Stanley (Now Zealand) characterised tho Leaguo as a “gesturo of friendship among tho nations whereby each may solve problems.” New Zealanders, Miss Stanley stated, wero of the opinion that the country needed women in legislative bodies. Dlrs Denton Leech (Australia) suggested training for the Federal Parliament through local government agencies. . Mrs Rischbeitli (Perth) said that the prejudice against women in politics was still strong in Australia.

The Japanese delegation at' the Pan* Pacific Conference includes fourteen voting delegates, two associates, five accredited visitors —twenty-one in all. Never in the history of the country, since in tho early ’seventies of the last century, when the first timid group of fivo Japanese women went abroad on a Government mission to study, has so largo a party of women moved out from tho country, writes a correspondent. Perhaps the most significant fact about the Japanese delegation is, however, its composition. It contains scholars and women who are authorities upon their oivn subjects. But there is another noteworthy aspect. It contains a group of primary school teachers, whose presence is significant. These teachers came, individually displaying very great courage, from isolated districts in Japan —from Kakodato in Hokkaido to Osaka in the west. Their coming is very important. It means that through a whole country there is realisation of the opportunity for international understanding. It means that the conferences is touching not a fringe of foreign-speaking women, hut is reaching right into tho heart of_ a people, to a group which is concerned with one of tho most vital of tho nation’s services— tho making of the mental outlook of its children. The conference is blessed by tho absence of the women of China, who are doing in obscure places their country’s work at a critical period in her history. Tho twD delegates who have come, however, Dr. Mei Tung Ting, and Miss Kyong Hae-Tsung, will interpret their country as few could do. The Philippine Islands has sent women of outstanding professional ability and personal prestige in their own country. They are valuable in themselves to the conference, and potentially valuable in interpreting it and its possibilities, to other women of their country. It happens that of tho United States group there are so far represented but four, and those specialising in aspects related to women in industry. They include Mary Anderson, of the Women’s Bureau of the Federal Department of Labour, that institution established during the war to attempt to create adequate standards of work for women. Sho herself for years was an operative in tho shoe trades, who came to America at the age of sixteen from Sweden, unable to speak English, having supported the cause of tho women of her trade through many difficulties. Into her hands was placed the creation of a department which would, by its investigation, make clear where reform was duo. With her now to the conference comes Elizabeth Christman,- former glove worker, and Jo Coffin, linotype operator on tho “lobster” shift (2 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.) on tho New York World.