INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7867, 1 August 1911, Page 4

INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS

The Universal Races Congress now sitting in London, referred to in our cable messages very briefly, is quite a remarkable gathering. It is dealing, too, -with great and important problems. The president, Lord Weardale (once hotter known as Mr Philip Stanhope), is a veteran leader of the Peace Society and an ex-president of the Inter-Parlia-mentary Union. Mr W. P. Reeves is chairman of the executive committee, and an impressive list of vice-presidents includes the names of Lord Morley, Lord Avebury, the Archbishop of York, Mr Lowther (Speaker of tho House ot Commons), Mr John Burns, and many other prominent men. The idea of tho Congress came originally from Dr Felix Adler* of Hew York* who is well known

in the world of letters as a student of international ethics, and the organising has been carried out by Air Gustav Spillor, who took considerable part in arranging rather a notable Moral Education Congress held in London three years ago. (In the principal discussion on that occasion the Continental delegates almost unanimously argued, against tiro British, that moral education should bo non-religious). The members of the Races Congress—the first of its kind—represent about fifty different countries, and tho case for each people is being laid before the gathering by a leading member of the race —Turkey, for example by his Excellency Said Bey, China by a former Minister to Washington, India by Mr G. K. Gokhale, Egypt by a member of tho Cairo Court of Appeal, Persia by a well-known educationist of Teheran, Japan by two professors of sociology in tho Imperial University of Tokyo, the negroes by Prof. Du Bois and Dr E. W. Blyden, the Jews by Mr Israel Zangwill. The chief aim of the Congress is to encourage understanding between the races of mankind, and to discuss and consider—as far as this may he done outside questions of current poli-tics-means to that end. Over fifty papers were to bo read at tho Congress. Tho first of tho six sections into which the programme is divided covers such fundamental considerations as tho meaning of race and tho problems of race permanence and race equality; the second is concerned with existing agencies making for progress; tho third with tho methods of peaceful contact between civilisations; tho fourth with special problems in interracial economics; the fifth with tho modem conscience in relation to such persistent problems as those offered by the Jewish people, tho dependent coloured races, and tho traffic in opium and alcohol; while tho last includes a wide range of positive suggestions for promoting interracial friendliness.

Tho fragmentary reports received by cable convey no idea of the work of the Congress, but it is clear that representative men and women are directing their attention to questions of tho utmost consequence to humanity. There seems to be an immense field of usefulness for such meetings. Modern science has so revolutionised means of communication and travel that tho world’s nations- are brought into much closer touch than hitherto; tho comparative isolation of the past is no longer possible; the ramifications of trade and commerce are extending; East is meeting West. The “awakening of China” isj in itself, hardly a new aspect of international affairs, but among the great coloured races generally there has been a stirring of national sentiment. Japan has sprung into front rank among the Powers; India and and, perhaps it may bo said even Turkey, show signs of being stirred by new movements. These and the ambitions behind them may be expected to demand some readjustment of the relations between the white and other races, which are becoming year by year more interdependent. The growth of this interdependence, however, is accompanied by, if it has not given birth to, opposition en the part of white peoples to allow coloured free intercourse—a quite natural feeling from economic and social considerations. Thus, for instance, while tho United States the Philippines, the' Japanese are excluded from California. This is hut one illustration of problems coming up for solution—a solitary instance of the many international difficulties which such gatherings as the Universal Races Congress may, at all events, do something, if it bo merely by way of suggestion, to alleviate. This novel and impressive gathering may perhaps be regarded as tho silver lining to the rather dense clouds now on the international horizon.