UNIVERSITY WOMEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 6

UNIVERSITY WOMEN.

A POWERFUL FEDERATION. FORMING THE “ INTERNATIONAL MIND.”DOMINION GRADUATE ABROAD. After an absence of two years in the United States, the Old Land, and on the Continent, Miss G. C. ST. Cameron, of the bacteriology department of the Otago Medical School, has returned to Dunedin and taken up her duties again under Professor Hercus. Miss Cameron, who is a graduate of the University of New Zealand, is a -member of the New Zealand Federation of University Women (affiliated with the International), and was in contact with university circles during all her travels abroad. It was indeed to her association w'th the International Federation of Uni versity Women that she owed many of lier most memorable and valuable experiences. Miss Cameron left New Zealand in January, 1924, on health leave, inteuding to take up post graduate work at Columbia University, New York, but another break down there necessitated a change in her plans. She crossed to Scotland, and spent the summer there, afterwards returning to Chicago in October, 1924, with a Rockefeller Fellowship, to rake up some work in bacteriology under Dr Jordan and to see something of home science in the University of Chicago. She returned to England in the summer of 1925, attended a council meeting of the International Federation in Brussels, visited Czecho Slovakia, Vienna, and Paris, and was back in Chicago in September for another three months' study before returning to New Zealand. In all her travels nothing seems to have impressed Miss Cameron so deeply as the third biennial conference of the International Federation of University Women which she attended in Christiania in the summer of 1924. In conversation with our representative, Miss Cameron gave a very vivid impression of that memorable gathering, and also of the council meeting in Brussels, which she attended a year later. This federation is only of very recent birth, but it has grown with wonderful rapidity, and it a movement full of great promise. It was born in 1918 in the brain of Professor Spurgeon, a professor of English literature in the University of London.

America, Canada, and Britain first united to form this federation, which has for its aim to promote understanding and sympathy among the university women of the world, and so to promote a lusting peace. Now there are 22 nations in the federation, and it has a membership of nearly 30,000. The delegates to the number of 250, representing 20 nations, at the biennial conference at Christiania —it was still Christiani • then—were the guests of the four northern federations of Norway, Sweden Denmark, and Finland. The mere fact of representatives of these four peoples joining so harmoniously in such a work is a striking tribute to the unifying influence of the federation.

Miss Cameron found it impossible to speak too highly of the kindness shown to the visiting delegates in Christiania, of tlie lavishness of the hospitality showered upon them, and of the perfection of me organisation of the conference down to the last detail. Miss Cameron had as a fellowtraveller and fellow-delegate from New Zealand, Dr Githa Chapman, of Wellington. Miss Elsie Griffin and Miss Melville, of Auckland, also attended. They found everyone speaking English on their arrival, and aeh delegate was handed over to a Norwegian graduate, who acted as “guide, philosopher, and friend” to her during tlie whole of her stay. Norwegian graduates do not wear gowns, and in place of mortar loards have . lost attractive and picturesque little tasselled peaked caps of black. With their white summer dresses and fair hair they made a very pleasing picture. An idea of the importance attached in Christiania to the conference may be gained from the fact that the daily papers devoted a whole front page, printed in English for the occasion, to welcoming the delegates. They published numerous articles about the achievements of women in various spheres of life and tributes to women pioneers. There was a grand academic procession at the opening of the conference, the delegates clad in their academic robes of all hues of the rainbow and half the city watching. The opening meeting was a revelation of .*ow such a gathering could be run. It took place in the new great hall of the university, a beautiful building decorated with magnificent modern frescoes. A chamber orchestra played music while the delegates were seating themselves The stage was banked up with glorious delphiniums to the Height of about 10ft, and at their base were masses of marigolds and of other flowers. m he presidents of the federation in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland each gave an address of welcome, the Swedish president speaking in four languages—English, French, German, and Swedish. Then the university offered its official welcome, and this was followed by music by Grieg, which, given by a Norwegian orchestra, was really thrilling. Dr Nansen gave a memorable ftddrefs ty she confereuyj is

English. He pointed out that never had the world been in such a state of upheaval, but never had there been so many international societies trying to put things right. The hope of ti e world lay in the promotion of sympathy and understanding and the development of the international mind.

Dr Nansen’s speech seemed to be the climax of the great occasion, and many delegates who did not know her well wondered what would remain for their president, Trofessor Spurgeon, to do. ,Professor Spurgeon rose to the occasion greatly and delivered an address that proved to be the true climax of the day and that will live in the memories of all who heard it. She discussed what the federation had already accomplished, and what it desired yet to accomplish, and outlined the work of the conference. ‘‘The secret and magical source of our strength," she said, “lies in our belief and faith in each other.” She was referring to the fact that the university women had no "axes to grind,” and no hidden ends to gain so that they could approach one another in perfect confidence. This fine address set the keynote for the whole of the conference.

Two striking messages of goodwill p.r d understanding came to the conference from Mr Ramsay MacDonald, Mr Hughes, of America, and Lady Astor. Among the notable speakers that took part in tlie debates of the conference were Lady Rhondda, who spoke of women in industry, and Mrs Corbett Ashby, a most charming and distinguished woman,, now president of the International Suffrage Union, who dealt with women in politics. The night before the conference started the delegates were entertained at a lavish and wonderfully organised dinner at which there were about 400 present. They were seated nr, tables for about 10, the seats Jbeing allotted according to numbers given to each delegate at the time of registration. To each table was brought a whole salmon richly decorated, and later a whole chicken was served to each guest. Strawberries and cream and choice wines followed. The spirit of warm and generous friendship about the whole gathering was deeply impressive. There were various other entertainments given on a somewhat similar scale and carried out with a perfection of detail that was astonishing.

One of the keenest discussions of the conference took place on the subject of tin international language. The discussion was opened by an English delegate, and probably it was for that reason that the claims of the English language were not mentioned. It seemed that French was the only possible one of the existing languages, and there were grave difficulties in the way of its universal adoption. A number of speakers strongly urged the claims of Esperanto or some other artificial language, and eventually a committee was set up to report to the next conference. On the evening of the day of this discussion a dinner to members of the council of the federation was giyei} b/ the Queen’* Yacht Club iu their

club house on a long pier in the fjord. About 30 were present, representing 20 different countries. There were no set speeches, but such was the feeling of friendliness and ease that everyone made a speech during the course of the evening. It was a remarkable commentary on the discussion of the day that every speaker but one spoke in English. "This seems to settle the question of an international language,” was the natural comment of one delegate to another.

The King and Queen of Norway gave the delegates a party on another occasion, and all the delegates were presented to their Majesties. This all goes to show the standing that the federation has so quickly won for itself. The whole conference undoubtedly served its purpose of promoting good understanding and strengthening the bonds of friendship between the many countries represented, for every delegate went home as an ardent apostle of international goodwill. At Brussels, in July, 1925, Miss Cameron attended a meeting of the council of the federation. There were about 40 present, and the Queen of Belgium returned specially from London to accord them a reception. The King and Queen received them at their summer palace, and spoke to them all during a period of some two hours spent with them. The delegates were entertained at tea, and taken through the conservatories, which were a wonderful vision of beauty. Ine visitors were also given a reception in the Hotel de Ville by the famous Burgomaster Max, who expressed himself as very much interested in the aims of the fev’ ration. One of the means by which the federation hopes to achieve its ends is by creating travelling scholarships, so that women graduates can study in countries other than their own. For this object the council meeting announced the establishment of a million dollar fund. Another means is to establish club houses in various countries where women graduates may stay. There is already one >f these in Washington, and in Paris there is an American Women’s Club which is acting as a club house. In London the beautiful old 15tb century mansion, Crosby Hall, with its fascinating history, is being converted into a club house. New Zeaalnd had undertaken to collect a sum of money to help on the scheme, ard is hoping that some of her graduates will lie able to live there at no distant date. Plans are almost completed for club houses at Rome and Athens, and plans are afoot for their establishment in Peking and Tokio. .... In the meantime the federation is doing a great deal by giving introductions to travelling university women where there ar* no club houses. The federation in every country will arrange for them to see what they desire to see and to meet the people of most interest to them. Miss Cameron said she could not tell all that the federation had meant to her while she was away. Among manv interesting events was a meeting of the Association of University Women in Washington during which the delegates were presented to President and Mrs Coolidge at White House. It must rr.ean a very great deal to women graduates of New Zealand to know that they can go abroad with such ease and find a friendly organisation anxious to remove 1 11 difficulties from their way Many fellowships are alreadv available, pne of which a New Zealand woman iskmioving at the present time. Miss Cameron saw much el-e and had many other interesting experiences during her two years abroad. The interviewer contented himself with one more question: ‘What, did \ou think of Prohibition in America ?” The renly was a guarded, hut significant, one. “Everybody T met there I found to be a firm believer in it,” she said.