Prevention of War Ideas

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 238, 8 October 1936, Page 11

Prevention of War Ideas

The leading women of some 21 countries at the International Women’s Congress in Paris recently, rounded off a week of vigorous discussion of themselves by a banquet at which they discussed the subject “If Women Ruled.” England was represented by Mrs Yevonde Middleton and the United States by Miss Prances Perkins, the Secretary of Labour, and by Miss Lena Madesin Phillips, president of tho International Pedcration of Business and Professional Women. England’s trees and countryside, including the absolute prevention of ribbon building, would receive special attention from ruling women under the direction of Mrs Middleton. “I would also tackle unemployment,” sho said, “though I do not know yet how this could be done.” Assuming that sho had tho dictatorship of Europe for a moment, as a woman, sho would enact the following laws in the cause of peace, which was her lirst consideration: — 1. To prevent lack of understanding everybody would have to visit every other country for at least ono month of his or l)cr life. 2. Taking a leaf out of tho historybook of past dictators, who married their children to children of other (to them, dangerous) dictators, she would compel about 3 per cent of tho youth of each European nation (chosen, by ballot) to inter-marry with a similar proportion of the youth of every other European nation. “Thus we should all become related,” said Mrs Middleton, “and though wo may hate our aunts and uncles wo at least do not want to shoot them.” Miss Perkins begged women not to weigh their achievements too heavily. “If women were in control of Government,” she said, “the first thing we should do would bo to invito men to share tho responsibility and opportunity of government.” Women, she went on, would bo inclined moro to look after tho cultural and artistici side of life, and such needs as child welfare. “But wo do not wish to exorcise a right to govern without the other part of the human race—which also primarily has at heart tho welfare of human beings.” Miss Phillips was re-elected the federation’s president for next year. Miss Caroline Haslet, electrical enginoer, was olected English president for 1936-37.