ROTARY CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20518, 20 March 1930, Page 12

ROTARY CONFERENCE.

GATHERING AT. SYDNEY,

WELCOME BY MR. BAVIN.

WORK FOR WORLD PEACE.

By Trfegraph—Press Association—Copyright, (Received March 19, 9.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, March J9.

The Premier of New South Wales, Mr. T. R. Bavin, to-day welcomed the delegates to the Rotary C6nference. He said they had come together on the common ground of goodwill and active service in the interests of mankind.

The creation of personal friendships and mutual understanding among the representatives of different countries was perhaps the strongest and firmest basis of international harmony and goodwill, which was tho vital need of the world to-day. Mr. VV. Kitashima, secretary of the Rotary Club, Tokio, read a paper entitled " What Rotary has done toward the promotion of fellowship among tho peoples bordering on tho Pacific."' Ho Said the world war had taught the lesson that war settled nothing.

The speaker directed their attention to the excellent influence of tho League of Nations, and remarked that Rotary was working along similar lines. Mr. Kitashima spoke of tho suspicion and fear among foreign peoples, who differed so much in religion, moral stamina, and economic conditions. He said that with the facilities of intercourse and communication that were available Rot&rians of tho world were committed to the task of the advancement of understanding and international peace.

Mr. David Robertson, of Auckland, urged the need for the promotion of Rotary fellowship. He said men should stop their money making to gain more of the underlying principles of this movement. Living in an economic atmosphere, wrestling with problems of financo, men often forgot, and allowed themselves no time for spreading the message of peace and goodwill. " If Rotary means anything," added Mr. Robertson, " it means the end of all hate. It enables us to meet our one-time foe, not with a clenched fist, but with tho hand of friendship."

' Mr. W. C. McGonagle, of Honolulu, read a paper on Rotary's influence on the professional trade and commercial interrelations of the peoples of the Pacific, in which he described how racial prejudices were gradually being broken down.

A paper on somewhat similar lines was read by Mr. G. McDonald, of Invercargill. The other speakers were largely local Rotarians.

Cabled greetings to the conference were received from a number of European countries.