MISS ISHBEL MacDONALD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 29 November 1929, Page 19

MISS ISHBEL MacDONALD.

ADDRESS ON PEACE.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. 1

NEW YOKK, Oct. 80

Miss Ishbel Mac Donald, eldest daughter of the British Prime Minister, delivered an address on peace and women's' part in its consummation, at a gathering of nurses and others at the Henry Street Settlement, in this city. Miss Mac Donald said; —"I wonder if you have to fight against the same things as many of us in Great Britain—that dreadful heavy feeling of the inevitability of bad social conditions that surround us and the inevitability of such other evils as international misunderstanding and warfare. I expect you have to face as we have to face it in Great Britain.

"These people who feel that way have not the faith in human nature that many, particularly in the Labour Party in Great Britain, have. They spend their timo trying to patch up the social evils that exist, but-we must bo careful that wo do not go in for social service which is not building up a bettor world. We don't want to do just patchwork. Wo want to build up a better world than wo have inherited from the peoplo of tho past.

"Women have more power than they had in tho past to build up, through political action and trado union work, as well as social service, a better world than thoy found. Wo can now directly help bring about improvements through political action, as wo could not 111 the past.

British Women Watching. "There are many who believe that social service should be carried on by privato individuals. There are others of us in Great Britain who believe that this is an uncertain way of carrying out improvements. I believe that we should not rely on voluntary Bervice, but on governments and municipalities to take over the responsibility of health clinics, good housing and many other things which are often run by small committees. What is the use of spending a great deal of private time and money if we are not helped by publicly-elected bodies such as our town council, municipalities and the Government of tho country- itself ?

"The women of Great Britain are all in favour of international peace and understanding, but here again there are certain people who feel that human nature is such that we shall aways have international misunderstanding and warfare. But I am glad to say that thero is a large section who will not accept warfare as but are working hard to bring about international understanding, and they have already set to work by sending the head of their Government to tho United States to show that peace can be brought about and that it is worth while to set to work to bring about that peace and understanding.

Peace and Understanding. "I am glad to have this opportunity to show you how dearly our women in Britain value peace and understanding between nations. Before leaving there was a warm and enthusiastic meeting of the working women in the part of London I represent in the County Council and they did beg me to tell the women of the United States how very keenly they are watching all that goes on in this section of peace. "From what I see here I should say the women of the United States are following with equal interest the conversations and meetings of the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain. I feel it a great honour that I should be so closely in touch with that mission. I thank those who have been giving me such an interesting time. "I cannot see all that I would like to see, but I hope to be back again soon as a London County Councillor and a social worker, and investigate further the splendid work you are doing in this country."