ON THE WING.

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 301, 19 July 1920, Page 3

ON THE WING.

WITH OIK DOMINION i'KESI DENT.

WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPER ANCE UNION.

Tne World's Convention opened on April 17th by special services held in almost every church in London. The Salvation Army have it on record that they arranged tor more than 1000 addresses to be given in their various halls. Lour hundred seats were reserved in Westminster Abbey for oversea delegates, and all agreed that no finer or more stirring sermon had evei been preached on Prohibition than the one delivered by the Bishop of Croydon on that Sunday evening. Hundreds of women occupied the pulpits of Nonconformist churches and addressed various Brotherhood meeting* or P.S.A.’s. The Convention commenced its sessions next morning. Not for years has the organisation held such a sue cessful Council as that which met in Westminster Chapel. There were 1315 delegates—the largest number since before the war -and many interested and interesting visitors from other lands, who had come for the Tenth Convention of the World’s W.C.I .U. It was an insisting sight, not only in itself, but for what it symbolised. As Miss Anna Gordon put it, “Woman hood wanted to bring peace, patriotism, total abstinence, prohibition, and child welfare throughout the world.’ One hardly realised the international character until the roll call was read Certainly the United States delegates were in evidence. The roll call was not an impressive ceremony in its method, but veiy much so in its matter. It included some fifty nations of the West and East, beginning with 0111 former enemy, Bulgaria. Germany, as a pathetic letter from its W.C.T.U. President signified, “could not afford to send to the loving fellowship of the Convention,’' a reference which was received with sympathetic cheers. Lady Carlisle, again reelected President, .vas a gracious and dignified figure, with her crown of white hair, and her calm serenity, even when several voices were raised at once or emotions surged about her. She welcomed the delegates to “be nighted England,” so much in need o*

that true reconstruction which will be possible when alcohol, which intensifies social and industrial problems, is prohibited. There were impressive speeches and hnr discussions about several of the iesolutions brought forward. The National Executive had proposed that th< Suffrage Depart meat should be discontinued, but the rank and hie were resolved to main tain it. Speaker after speaker point ed out that woman suffrage has to be extended and amended. It would not be easy to estimate how tar the Union is responsible for the measure of it which women have now attained, and they may be trusted to improve it. A resolution supporting Local Option and opposing State Ownership and the “so-called disinterested management” of licensed house* was carried unani mouslv. \ speaker, m support of it was Mrs McKinney, M P , of Alberta. Prohibition, she said, was only a comparative term In Canadft it waimpossible to have effective prohibi tion while so much drink was sent over from England and Scotland. They did not want that, but nothing cultivates sentiment like law, and from local option! in small areas the\ would go on to (nation wide and worldwide prohibition, until the liquor traffic was swept off the face of the earth. Mrs Nirholls, J.P , testified that in South Australia experiments in muni realisation had not been successful from the temperance stand|>oint. A resolution in support of S< ientific Temperance Instruction in schools was spoken to bv Miss Fanny Cochrane (New York Siate). She said that many years ago, in America, they had a vision. They saw that they must teach all the children of all the families ; n the public schools for two generations, and get temperance into the hearts of the nation before they could win prohibition. The resolu♦ion to safeguard adolescence was car ri< 1 with great enthusiasm. It appealed to the Government to prohibit the sr.le of intoxicants to.young people under 21. It was proposed by Miss Harriet Johnson, who had so mu< h to do with f he Children’s Bill, and spoken to by Mrs Boden, another veteran in the cause. White Ribbon missionaries followed with Kief reports of their work. Some were absent, including Miss Olifie Johannsdotter, the di«tinguished Ireland dele gate, who was held lip in Copenhagen bv a strike. The gr?at Central Hall

at Westminster, seating 2000, was a delightful s'gfit, packed wall women to the upper gallery, most of them charmingly dressed, nearly all with alert faces, and all seemingly eager to see and hear and take part They thrilled with enthusiasm as they rose to repeat, with solemn resolution, then vow to promote “the entire extinction of the Liquor Traffic.” The New Zealand President had the honur of conducting the opening devotional service and speaking at the Reception given by the Methodists and United Kingdom Alliance, and at two of tlu evening meetings. There were several Receptions crowded in between the sessions, including the Lord Mayor’s, the Baptist Women’s Missionary Society, the \.\\.C.A., and a reception at Lady Cecilia Roberts’ for oversea delegates. Mrs Mary Harris Armour taught us 90 me of America’s rallying cries, and led the Convention in several such • cheers The newspapers seemed to boycott the whole Convention, for some never even noticed it; others simply mentioned it. The Convention closed yesterday afternoon, and to night we are going to Scotland to take some small part in their struggle for Local Option. That is the reason nay report is short, and quite inadequate to convey to you the magnitude of th* Convention, tJ ow a thing of th: past.