UNIVERSITY WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19316, 31 October 1924, Page 5

UNIVERSITY WOMEN.

THE CHRISTIAjTCA CONFERENtJE. | —\- TWO NEW ZEALANDERS' IMPRESSIONS. Mrs Benson. President of the New Zealand Federation of University Women, has recentlv received letters respecting the Third "Conference of the International Federation of Uniyersity Women held in Christiania, Norway, from July 28 to August 17 last, and attended by delegates from 21 different nationalities. New Zealand had four representatives at the conference —Miss G. Cameron, who was the official delegate from the dominion, and was sent by and at the expense of the Otago branch o( the Federation ; Dr Githa Chapman; Miss Griffin, well-known in Dmiedin bv reason of her work in connection with the Y.W.C.A. and Miss Melville, of Auckland, a lawyer who has been a candidate for parliamentary honours in tho dominion on one or two occasions, and is.a member of the Auckland City Council. The impressions made upon the minds of the New Zealand women are contained in letters written by Miss Cameron and Dr Chapman. The conference gained a certain dignity in the fact that all the delegates wore academic garb. The conference opened with a procession which filed slowly across the square between the old and the new, led by Professor Caroline Spurgeon, President of the British Federation, and retiring president of the International federation and Professor Christine Bonnevie, president of the Norwegian Federation and president-elect of the International Federation. "It was interesting," writes Miss Cameron, "to note the difference between the traditional cap and gown of the English universities and the different Scandinavian costumes. They wear no gown ; the Norwegians have a. / black cap with a long tassel, the Swedish a white tippet rather like a yachting cap, both with a small rosette of the national colours in front. Dr Jennyof Forselles, president of the Finnish Federation, wore a cap which resembled an opera hat more than anything else and which gave a quaint air to" the proceedings. Professor Winifred Cullis was very gay in her scarlet robe— London D.Sc, -with the medieval student cap and Professor Spurgeon was resplendent in her French doctor of literature's gown." The visiting delegates were welcomed by the presidents of the four federations— Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark—on whose joint invitation the conference had been convened. The dominant note all through the proceedings was the necessity for the cultivation of the international mind. "The fact that the four northern federations acted as hostesses," remarks Miss Cameron, "was in itelf a great thing, for it isn't so long since Norwaywas under the heel of Denmark, nor since she later broke away from Sweden. And what charming hostesses they made." As an illustration of what an international mind can accomplish Miss Cameron adds: "It was quite thrilling to hear the Irish delegate say that negotiations were afoot which would almost certainly end in the linking up of the Belfast and Dublin Federations, and with these the rest of the Northern and Southern branches, some of which are already formed, and others in course of formation. And it was most moving when a most obviously sincere little German girl, speaking hesitating English, told of the new spirit in the young university -women and how anxious they were to cultivate the international mind and to join in with the international federation." There are hopes that the .German Federation will be formed in time for the next conference. It is anticipated that the cultivation of the international mind will practically work in the direction of an international literature and an international language. Speaking on the subject of "Women in International Commerce," Miss Margaret Goldsmith, who holds the position, of Assistant Trade Commissioner at the American Embassy in Berlin, emphasised the necessity for studying foreign languages, showing how a knowledge of the literature of a country was invaluable in getting at the psychology of the people. One thing which surprised and amazed tlj,e New Zealand representatives was the command of the English language displayed bv the women of all the nations. "Practically everybody spoke English,'* says Miss Cameron, "and we British felt absolutely ashamed of ourselves for the poor showing we made with other languages. One of the speeches was on the question of an international language, the speaker saying that probably it would have to be artificial in order not to give any nation too great an advantage. But at the last dinner every delegate from 20 nations, with the exception of Czechoslovakia, made a speech in English. There's no doubt about the international language." The place of university women in the woild's work was 'discussed in its various aspects—women in industry, women in commerce, women in politics and women in business. Among the principal speakers were Professor Spurgeon and Lady Rhondda. Mrs Corlett-Ashby (president of the International Suffrage Alliance) spoke on the relation of politics and university training, urging the necessity for the right kind of women to enter politics. The discussions generally emphasised the importance of the trained minds of the university women in all lands setting themselves to solve the problems of politics, and economics and industry and this in the interests of humanity at laTge. Professor Spurgeon declared that women would take up this work with unbiassed minds, a new point of view, a new sense of values ,and a gTeat desire for peace, all of which tend to form the international mind and prevent the economic explosions which ultimately led to war. The chief difficulties to be overcome were the natural inertia of women, their ignorance of opportunities in commerce and of such intricate things as tariffs and finance and the attitude ordinarily taken up by fathers in regard to their daughters entering their businesses ■ as compared with their sons. Lady Rhondda followed with an outline of the situation

in England, where but four women were engaged in big businesses except those dealing with purely feminine tilings. One shining exception was seen in Punch, the advertisement manager of that popular paper being a woman. The conference was addressed by Dr Nansen, fligh Commissioner of the League of Nations, who declared that the hope of the world lay with the- universities and particularly with the university women. Their mission was the development of the international mind and the insistense of the one standard for individual and political morals . A lie was a lie whether spoken by a statesman or by a private individual and the lie of double morals had almost destroyed the world. There was, however, no cause for despair. The young were seeking ideals ; the university women must help them to realise these ideals. Professor Spurgeon stressed the fact that in live vears the Women's Federation had gathered together 27,000 members of 20 nationalities. The social side billed largely in the conference programme, and all the events were admirably organised. .There were dinners and dancing and music, and all in a most elaborate scale. Dr Chapman writes: "The dinner of welcome to foreign delegates was held in the largest hotel in Christiania. It was a brilliant and magniticent function, about three hundred guests in all being present. Each table was beautifully decorated in a separate colour, with flowers and ribbons, a copy of the menu printed on a wide strip of ribbon being given to each guest. The room was very large and well lighted, white and green being the prevalent colours on the walls and ceilings. An orchestra played selections from Norwegian composers during dinner. The details of the repast had,been as carefully considered and as artistically executed, as those of the surroundings. The first dish to appear was an amazing salmon, so ornately bedecked with arabesques of sauce and rosettes made of tomatoes, shrimp and eggs, that it was with difficulty that the first person to whom it wasoffered summoned the courage to spoil the artistic effect. It was followed by roast chickens, no larger than partridges, with accompaniments of strange and unknown vegetables, and finally a mountain of ice-cream surrounded by strawberries drew the last exclamations of wonder from the visitors." " We were greatly interested,"' continues Dr Chapman, "in the northern custom of honouring; the toasts during the course of the dinner, and not, as with us, at the end. Dr Alma Sundguest, president of the Swedish Federation, welcomed the visitors in a speech in four languages. Professor Spurjreon, in replying, opened her remarks with a burst of Norwegian which was received with applause, though she subsequently apologised for the fact that her command of modern languages did not equal that of her hosts. After dinner we adjourned to the ball-room for coffee, where a lady sang folk-songs of the four different countries and a young girl delighted everyone with her graceful and original dancing. Dr Chapman also mentions a visit to the studio of M. Vigeland "the great sculptor whose work is almost unknown even in Norway, as it is never exhibited. These strange dreams and visions and the delight and lover of life were enclosed in a space where it was barely possible to walk. The most interesting part of the work was the design for the great fountain to be the glory of Christiania at some future date. Twenty trees in bronze, with human figures strangely entwined in their branches, represent the emergence of humanity from nature and its return to nature. A huge central column, representing human aspiration, shows at its base, figures lying prone, crushed by the burden of life. Further upwards they have risen to a sitting position and finally at the summit stand upright." Dr Chapman concludes by saying : "Xo words are adenuate to describe the kindness and hospitality of our Scandinavian I hosts, the perfection of every detail of the arrangements for our entertainment, and the atmosphere of friendship and understanding with which the conference was pervaded. That no jawing was to be heard during five days in a meeting of three hundred people is surely an event to be recorded. To have tea or lunch with a party of half a dzoen people ot as many nationalities was almost more conducive to international feeling than the h'.rger and more impressive gatherings. The formal and the informal were wonder- ' fully blended all through. The most blase and accustomed conference-goers confided one to another that they had never known a conference like it. It was a joy while it continued, and will be a joy to remember when one is struggling with an antagonistic practice in the back-blocks of New Zealand."