WORLD,S PRESS CONGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11947, 5 March 1917, Page 1

WORLD, S PRESS CONGRESS.

A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME. ADDRESS BY CAPTAIN NIESIGH. » .. - '' The Press Congress oi the World, " whicii is to hold its triennial session at Sydney next year, was the subject oi an address delivered recently to a largo asbOiiibir.go or Wellington journalists. Captain J. W. Nie-sigh, who is representing tho New South Wales Government in connection with the Congress auci who is completing a Lour of the j>riucipal cities in the Dominion, explained the origin, objects and scope of tho movement. The l'ress Congress of tho World, lie said, was pur. "upon a permanent footing during the International Press Congress held at San Francisco in July, 1915, when there were present nearly 1000 delegates, representing 29 conntries and 4(5 States. li> was then decided that a meeting should be held every third year, the iirsfc to be at Sydney in .1918. The declared object, of tho movement is "to advance by conference, discussion, and united effort tho cause of journalism in every honourable way," and membership comprises workers in every part, of journalism in every country, who arc engaged in promoting the highest.; standards and tho largest, welfare of J the press. it is thus an entirely cos-j mopoiitan and democratic organisation,; embracing as it does all ranks and • classes of pressmen and women en- i gaged in tho literary, commercial, art,; ( and mechanical departments of news-j. f papers or other publications. Already; , more than 30 countries have been en- { - rolled, and for each of tho.se countries; [• two vice-presidents have been appoint- \ ■> ed. th* New Zealand representatives; ; being Messrs Robert. Bell, of Ashbur-; * ton, :ind .Mark Cohen, or Duncdin. j. Mr Bell is jtlso a member of the Inter-1 nrtwnal Executive Committee. ! i' or the Sydney meeting a. far-reach- | 1 ing organising campaign has been car- | < ried out jointly by Dr Walter Williams, [ > of Missouri University, and Captain f '» Xicsigh. the latter having been sent, : during last year, through the United > States, Canada, Great Britain, France t and South Africa. By official channels an invitation has also been sent , from the New South Wales .C&wsa*. > ment to the Governments of ali'TFFitiSh 1 Dominions and of foreign countries, asking them t<> select and send to the. 1 Cong re-s. men and women repr«sentn- * live of the press oi their respective countries, and a scheme of organisation for New Zealand has been drawn , up by which it is thought- that an ade-f quat-e delegation from this country will] " be ensured. i Tho Congress will at Syd-j J ney o;i March. 28, 191$, and it is ex-j pected that tiie business will extend j over about ton days. After that dele-! gates will, by tiie. ec-operai ion of allj tho -State Governments of the Com-J rnonwoa'fth, be afforded ample opporiu- : nily for seeing Australia and studying; its social, political, and industrial life, j By the arrangement <>f a schedule of' " ronnd trips " nil deb-gate.- from over- f sea will iind a!>o inducements and j facilities for visiting New Zealand, arid ' thus tiie Congress is er.peeted to pro-' vide for Australasia a gigantic and I ' valuable measure of very desirablo ! | publicity, i j " Aithough tt(A war will surely inter--fere w;i-h the numerical strength, and j the personnel of the British and Con-'j tjnciital representatives," Captain , Niesigh said, "there v.'.il :»t ill be a' reasonably strong and imp.*ns>nt. con-; tingenf from England, Scotland, >'nd I Ireland, and correspondence with 'ho I French, Italian, and Swiss Press. Asso-•; cia-.tions indicate the <>n tended partici-j ; pat-ion of those countries, as well as or ' i neutral countries in Europe. from; the United States there will bo a very ' large delegation, and Central audi Smith America, no less than tiie press, j both native and English, oi the frat' j East, will send many r>*proser.tp.ti res. i In every way tho Congress promises to j bo one of U:;- largest, most completely i International, and. certainly the most-! interesting assemblage thai has yet; been welcomed to ahe southern hemi-S-j phenv' , j>'or the purpose.; of organisation in ' New Zeaiaud the vice-presidents : (Messrs Robert Belt and Mark Cohen) j will be assisted by two honorary corres- j pond iig- secretaries l - —Me.s/'rs Fred, j Enrle, of Wellington, and Cutbberti East, of Timaru, all working in co- j operation with the Caicial secretary m j Sydney.