MISS MAUDE ROYDEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20323, 3 February 1928, Page 12

MISS MAUDE ROYDEN.

FAREWELL LUNCHEON. COMMENCEMENT OF WORLD TOUR. (From Our Own- Correspondent.) LONDON, December 24. The British Commonwealth League held a farewell luncheon at the Lyceum Club in honour of Miss Maude Royden preparatory to her world tour. Representatives of 21 societies affiliated to the league were present. Miss Royden leaves for America on December 28, and in due course will visit New Zealand and Australia.

After the lunch Mrs E. Corbett Ashby (chairman) explained the objects of the British Commonwealth League. _ It was considered, sti© said, that the British Empire was of the very greatest importance in the development of the women’s movement. It was felt that the British Commonwealth could weld into one the women citizens of the Empire. The league s aims were political in that they sought to have women recognised as full citizens in all parts of the Empire, but they were very grateful to those Empire institutions which had been founded for social purposes. They were very glad to be sending out to the Dominions one of the most remarkable women of the time. They had felt that if they could send out a missionary who was known to represent all that was finest and best they would be doing a real service. Miss Maude Royden had very generously accepted the invitation, and had consented to make the tour of the dominions.

Preparatory welcomes to Miss Roy den ■were given on behalf of the various domin' ions by Mrs Eccles, Snowden (Australia), Lady Maclaren Brown (Canada), Mrs Sen (India), and Miss Stella Murray (New Zealand). Miss Murray said she was sure Miss Royden would have a wonderful welcome in New Zealand. She would meet the greatest kindness everywhere, and she ■would be kept so busy that she would probably have no voice left at all. A COMMON BROTHERHOOD. Miss Royden said she was going on this visit to the dominions to learn rather than to teach. After making their way through America she and Miss Dobson would spend a month’s holiday in California. From there they would go on to New Zealand. She wanted to know what women had done politically in New Zealand and Australia. There were those who said they had done very little. In those countries now possessing the lowest infant death rate in the world it was ludicruous to say they had done little. What of the work that had gone to the reduction of this death rate to such an extraordinary level? They should remember that women’s contribution to the commonwealth was chiefly concerned with human life. Those were the things she wished to have the special privilege of studying. Her tour would take her to Japan and China, both countries she had never seen, and to India. In India she hoped to learn something of the greatest spiritual force in the world. She hoped to meet the people in their own homes. Only in that way would it be possible to understand the life of the people. It had been said that the World War into ex istence a world consciousness. Never before had the world known the world in common brotherhood. Out of terrible suffering had come at least this knowledge of common brotherhood. It was the furtherance of this brotherhood that was the main purpose of the British Commonwealth League, and this was the spirit she wished t® -airy with her on her world tour.