WOMEN'S INSTITUTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22424, 21 May 1936, Page 5

WOMEN'S INSTITUTES

BIENNIAL conference address on world affairs Delegates from institutes established S U over the Auckland Province attended the biennial conference of the Auckland Federation of the Women's Institutes, which opened yesterday morning in the reception hall of Milne and Choyce. The president of the Auckland Federation, Mrs. Stanley Phillips, was jn the chair and was assisted by Mrs. F M. Re veil, secretary to the federation. In her welcoming, address to the delegates, Mrs- Phillips said that each conference was marked by a decided increase in the niimber of delegates attending. She thought that even if no business matters were discussed the conference would serve a valuable purpose in that it brought into contact members of all institutes from both town and country so that they might receive some benefit from each other's knowledge and experiences. During the morning songs were contributed by Mrs. H. Owens and an address on world affairs was given by Mr. J. W. Shaw. Too Swilt For Adjustment

The world to-day was passing through kaleidoscopic transformations that were too swift, and incomplete, said Mr. Shaw. Whereas in former years any Seat epoch-making event had always en followed by a period of re-adjust-ment, to-day changes happened in breathless sequence. The Great War had made a tremendous chasm between lihe past and the present as well as the future. Discussing the effect the war had had on Europe in general, Mr. Shaw said that the war had taught people that it could not be fought by a democracy. There had to be one will and one mind in supreme command. The people had become accustomed to seeing things done in this way during three years of war and thought that what was a good organisation for war might well be a good organisation for peace. This war spirit and method had plunged the world into chaos until people were losing faith in the splendour of the individual man. Liberty had always been regarded as the most precious possession of man, but in Mr. Shaw's opinion, Britain was the ordy nation in the world where liberty existed.

Enter Herr Hitler " Germany, harassed and vindictively treated after the war when the only hope of tie world had been in her restoration, found herself failing in industry and accumulating debts she could not pay. Into the middle of- chaos came Herr Hitler, who by the dominant power of his oratory had achieved what m Mr. Shaw's opinion was the greatest miracle of the present time in restoring life to Germany. To-day, from being a cowed and beaten people, the Germans Were perhaps the most intellectual and firmest i:a national character of all European peoples. Their self-respect had been restored in the thought that they were the true Aryan people and the only people fitted to impose an Aryan culture upon the world. To-dav they were organised for an imperial destiny with the central idea of discipline and education. There was no liberty in Germany except the liberty to do as one was told. Individual Help Necessary

similar manner, Italy had sacrificed the standard of her men and women fox immediate results. Mr. Shaw also spoia of the League of Nations, which was, he said, the only great and good thing that had arisen from the war, in ,that it stood for collective security. The individual could do much to help the power of the League by believing in it and spreading that belief. During the morning a welcome was extended to Miss Agnes Stops, organiser of the Women's Institutes in England, who has been spending some weeks working among the institutes of the Auckland Federation. Practical demonstrations and exhibitions of work occupied the remainder of the dfvy, concluding with a drama festival in the even-

lng. ■ The* conference will resume to-day when remits from the delegates will be discussed and a general business meeting will be held.