WOMEN OF THE PACIFIC

Southland Times, Issue 23825, 24 May 1939, Page 9

WOMEN OF THE PACIFIC

CONFERENCE EARLY NEXT YEAR

DELEGATES TO PAN-PACIFIC ASSOCIATION

Plans for the Pan-Pacific Women’s Association conference to be held in Wellington early next year were outlined by Miss L. Sullivan, of Dunedin, programme chairman for New Zealand, in an address to women last night. , Miss V. A. Jamieson (district secretary of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union) piesided over a good attendance. Miss Sullivan said that the idea of such a conference germinated some years ago at Honolulu in the mind of a well-known Dunedin citizen, the Hon. Mark Cohen, who was attending a conference there at the time. The first Pan-Pacific conference was held at Honolulu in 1928 and two years later another was held in the same place. The first three conferences were held at Honolulu and the next at Vancouver, and now they were going to hold one in Wellington. They were looking forward very much to the conference that would be held in Wellington, and it promised to be very well organized. The aims of the Pan-Pacific Association were to strengthen the bonds of peace among the people of the Pacific by working for a better understanding among the women of the Pacific countries and meeting them on a common ground, and to initiate and promote co-opera-tion among the women of the Pacific for better economic conditions.

Each country was allowed to bring 25 voting and five associate delegates to the conference, although it was not likely there would be full delegations from countries other than New Zealand and Australia.

The economic inter-dependence of Pacific countries and the cultural contributions of Pacific countries were the two subjects for group study. The conference would open in Wellington on January 11, 1940, and would continue until January 26. Some very distinguished visitors were coming from overseas and it was hoped that Dame Enid Lyons would be one of the guests. Dame Enid was an outstanding woman and an eloquent speaker.

Miss Sullivan discussed some of the grave problems that were facing the countries of the world which, she said, could be divided into the “have” and the “have not” countries. Great Britain and the United States were the “have” countries and in the other category were Germany, Italy and Japan. None of the countries wanted war, but they were indulging in an armaments race because of fear and distrust of one another. Japan had sufficient food; but not sufficient variety of food to keep her people in good health, and was dependent on other countries for some of her essentials. All countries depended on one another for something and it was desirable for this reason that trade should continue peaceably among the countries of the world.

Miss Sullivan was cordially thanked for her address.