PACIFIC PROBLEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 13

PACIFIC PROBLEMS.

QUESTION OF SOLUTION. HOPES AND AMBITIONS.. THE EAST AND THE WEST. The part the Institute of Pacific "Relations is taking in helping to solve the many and difficult probloms of tho Pacific was explained by Mr. J. Merle Davis, general secretary of the institute, at a luncheon given in his honour at the Pacific Club yesterday. Tho luncheon was given by Mt. A. C. Caughey, tho Hon. George Fowlds presiding. Professor J. B. Condliffe, of Canterbury College, who is the New Zealand representative of the institute, was also present. Mr. Davis, who has his headquarters at Honolulu, has just completed a tour of countries touching the Pacific basin in order to got a deeper understanding of the outlook of the various peoples. He is spending a few days in Auckland before leaving for Honolulu by tho Niagara on Tuesday. The institute was established in July, 1925, for the purpose of studying tho social conditions of countries bordering the Pacific, Mr. Davis said. It was now 100 years since the West came in contact with the East, and this contact had brought with it a lot of blessings. Western peoples were sometimes apt to be aghast at the quick manner in which the East, had learned from the West. It was desirable that the dark peoples (should profit, but not too much. To-day they found that the dark peoples had overstepped the mark and it had become a very great problem. Humorous Difficulties. Continuing, Mr. Davis stressed the difficulties. There were the economic conditions, the different colours, tho totally different types of culture and standards of lifcs—all these things added to tho possibility of a great calamity happening in tho Pacific. The Institute of Pacific Relations was endeavouring to overcome these difficulties primarily in tho field of understanding. At the conference at Honolulu last year when 143 people of all nationalities attended, they wanted to get the feeling and attitude of everyone. The Japanese and Chinese had shown great interest. Tho Japanese le-ador had said to him. "This is perhaps tho first time the West has mot the East without anything to sell, borrow, teach or preach." Mr. Davis considered that ho was right, Mr. Davis said they had the gneatest difficulty to convince the different representatives that tho scheme was [purely one of mutual reciprocity. One oi: tho principles laid down at the conference was that opportunity should be given for any topic to be discussed. Permission was given for discussion on the most difficult and dangerous subjects, believing that i! men of goodwill came together to discuss ail things tho goodwill would continue. They found that the representatives responded to the feeling of goodwill. Tho conference also decided not to pass resolutions, condemn or sympathise, it waa hard to keep to this unusual principle. It was further agreed to discuss what problems there were and to try and find facts to throw light on them. "If any other course had been adopted I believe the conference wottld have split up, ' Mr. Davis said. "Conferences will now be held every two years and we hop© to do much in the future. Interest in the Work. "During my present tour I have been naked to sound the p'eople in the different countries and get their impressions of ! what the big issues are," Mr. Daviii said. "In the countries I have visited I Mil able to report considerable interest in our work. The Japanese especially have come into the movement enthusiastically under the leadership of a very influential mi in, Mr. J, Inouve, president of the Bank of Japan, and a former Minister of Finance, Supporting him arc soma oI Japan s best schclars, public men, business mciti) and religious leaders. They are starting out in earnest to find material to help us at our conference next year. 1 * The Chinese were also interested, but they had not the organisation of the Japanese. They had, however, tho means and the resources. "The co-operation in this part of the sPacifio has been very fine," said Mr. Davis. "There are branches in Australia, while there is a strong branch in New Zealand with headquarters at Wellington. Some isay the Dominion is too far removed from the tense relations of the Pacific tc ho of much service, but I believe that thro abstraction gives you a calm view ol the troubles." „ . , , Mr. Davis said they did not want to make the movement a popular one yet. They were not quite sere whetnw it would be a success. With the co-opera-tion of men of expert opinion who knew the problems of race they hoped it would succeed. Perhaps the time would come a little later. 4 Professor Condliffe said bo went to Honolulu last year with but a hazy idea of what the conference intended -.to - do. It proved, however, to be a g* or m : tarnational summer school. He it would be a good move for the Dominion to send young ferences so that they could gather the viewpoint of representatives of other nations.