BRITISH DOMINIONS WOMEN CITIZENS’ UNION.

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 303, 18 September 1920, Page 5

BRITISH DOMINIONS WOMEN CITIZENS’ UNION.

The flixt of the great Women’s (’on grosses which mark this year, lh« World's Women’s Christian Tciupe am* I’nion Convention, has come a.id gone, leaving in the minds of all who attend ed it the impression of great work planned and ueeomplished. The notices in the London press were very inadequate, hut the force represented by that vast body of women, united in high purpose. <*innc>t Im* ignor«*d even by an unsympathetic press. On Sunday, April 18th, in connection with the Temperance cause, s* rviees were held and stirring addi -se*.delivered by many well-known prent h ers in the Established and Free Church es of the Metropolis and the chief pro vineial centres in Or eat Britain. The public meetings of the Convention were held in Central Hall, Westminster, the I tody of which was filled each day by an eager and enthusiastic audience, averaging altout n thousand. Lady Car lisle, in the chair, showed unabated energy and ability. It was not surprising that she was again elected Prcsident. But there seemed a growing feeling that In the present terrific toi t-ont of events, esteem and love for the great leader of a past generation should not blind us to the important* of bringing younger individualities to tli, front. Behind and around the hair the large platform was filled day after day by the worhl delegates and chief speakers, among whom were from New Zealand: Mrs 1 *on. President; Mr Le. Cowk and Sister Moody Bell. From Australia: l-uly Holder. President; Mrs Nicholls, Mrs Strang. Mrs Oliver and Mrs Althorp. From South Africa: Mrs Stuart. President; Mrs Sutherland. Pre sident. Cape Province; Miss Sutherland, and Emilie Solomon. From India: Mr*Hallowes. Ex-President; Mi's Sunder. Vice-President. From Canada: Mrs Blanche Reid Johnstone. Editor White Kihlmn Bulletin; Mrs Wright. President: Mrs Cordon. Vice-President; Mrs < 'utter and Mrs Fothergill. Tlu* programme of the Convention was so full that the Hecept m which the Committee of the British Pommi ous Women Citizens’ I’nion had planned for the delegates from the Overseas Do minions had to Is- fixed for the 2tth. the Monday of the following week. The was to Is- regretted, as the See. BP W.C.tT. ha t hoped to secure a series

of spceele-s at the Reception from leaders among the delegates of each Ikiminion. dealing with the question of State Purchase. But this plan unfortunately had to Im* given up. Th<* business of the British Women’s Temperance Association took a large number of the most popular speakers, e.g.. Mrs Don. Mrs Loe-Cowie. Mrs Strang, etc., aw iy to Glasgow and other centres. It is plea s.int, however, 1o think that so many different places in Britain have Iccnefltcd by the visit of the women of tli • over-sc.-is Dominions. A considerable mini ber of delegates, too, wen regretfully atisent from the Reception on the 2<th, for ls-ing desirous of visiting the battlefields, they had to start that vfry morning on the toni arranged for them by an outside agency. The guest whom the delegates were invited to meet was Viscountess Astor, Memls-r of Parliament for Plymouth. The vat he ring was held in ihe Library of Central Hall, which was »etefuily decorated with flags and spring powers by Mrs Hours (Australia). Arrangements for tea were eharmingiy carrlisl out by Mrs Fisher, of the Women’s Freedom League. Phc Hon. 'ecretary, B.P.W.C.V. (Miss N’t-wfomb) in welcoming l*ndy Astor, spoke of the enthusiasm felt by the women it. every one of the Oversells Dominions at the entry Into the House of Coinmi ns of a woman member, of the warm Interest with which ’-ady Astor’s work is followed by women in every part of the Empire, and of the gratitude felt not only for her ceaseless watchfulness over all matters which specially concern women and children, but oxen moie for the devotion with which sh** carric* out her self-effacing work of pn\ ing the way for other women to follow where she has led. A bouquet of red roses tie*d with white and blue ribbon was then presented on liehalf of the British Dominions Women Citizens’ I'niou by Miss Elaine Cook, of Melbourne. Lady Astor. who was evidently much torn bed by the warmth of her reception, begged the worm n of the Dominions Overseas not to Im* disappointed if she apparently did no great work in I’uriiament. Her 1 M*st work was in lobbying, getting hold of individual member* and putting Ire fore them, often to their great surprise, the woman’s point of view. She spoke of the supreme necessity for perf«*ct honesty in pursuit of ideals, of love of truth and love of our neighliour.

and of mom I fcar’.essnoss in the expression of oar opinions as of greater importance than adherence to any one set of views It is inipowible to convey in words alone an adequate idea of the peculiar charm of Li.dy Astor. Mother of a large family, to whom she is devoted, she is as p etty, as fresh, as active, and as unassuminig as a young girl, while her lively and witty remarks, with the tremendous force Im hind of genuine honesty and high purpose, carry weight which ro mere statesmanlike speech can do. 7he announcement that she had been appointed to represent the Imperial Goveininent at the coming International Woman Suffrage Alliance it Geneva, was welcomed with much applause. Mrs Sutherland, President, (’ape Province. in a very beautiful speech on lie half of South Africa, dwel. on the influence that the example of Great Britain had on the Dominions Overseas. She spoke of the special need of South Africa for the woman’s vote, and of the stimulus which |j»dy Astor’* election had Im-cii to the cause. Sla further referred to the importance of the work of the W.f'T.r. at the present crisis, and to the success of the great Convention just closed. Lady Holder. ”? evident. VV.f'.T I\, Australia, spoke- most interestingly of the- history of th» women’s cause in that country, whe*e, however, they had not as yet succ rded in sending any woman to Parliament. She assured Lady Astor of the- deep and growing in-te-re*st in her work which is taken by the* women ft the Antirodcs. Mrs Hc-rctiai Tata, the Woman Suf fmgo leader of Bombay, convoyed in n le w strikingly chosen words the* welcome of the* women of India to the* first woman member cf imperial Parliament. The* programme of music was extremely well arranged, and the items nrtistlrtilly rendered by e'arlina M Binnio (pianist). Francos Barnard ('cellist), and Greta Gilbert (songs). Besides (he W.C.T.I’. delegates, the* following were* among those present: New Zealand: .Mix Hitchcock. Miss Ida Yurie. Miss Mary McCarthy; Australia: Mrs Wren. Miss Vida Goldstein, Miss Mile's Franklin. Mix Hoare, Mix Keith Adam. Mrs Levi. Mix Loo Myers. Mrs Griffith* Foulkcs. Pie Misses Hornabrook. Mrs Honey w ill. Miss L. E. Arm strong; from South Africa: Dr. Ella Britten, Mrs Creed. Miss Ogilvie; from India: Dr. nnd Mrs Nundy, Mrs Tata,

Miss Mirnbai Tnta, and other distinguished young women st idor.ts. in the 1 <*;» lit if ul dress which briny,« the brilliancy of Eastern sunshine into the dreariest of London (lays. Mrs Fawcett, the veteran British >uffrage leader; Miss Alison Nellans, Secretary, Association for Social and Moral Hygiene; Mrs County Councillor HowMartyn; Mrs Abbott, Secretary, International Woman Suffrage Alliance, were among those who kindly assisted Miss 11edge and Miss Newcomb, and the Committee, in entertaining the guests. Regrets for unavoidable atwence were received from Mrs Despurd, Lady Mackenzie, Rady Emmott. Rady Perley, Rady Denman. Mrs Oiive Schreiner, Miss Agnes Slack, and Miss Maude Ro>den. HARRIET C. NKWCOMB, Hon Sec., Britissh Dominions Women's Citizens’ Pnion. April 29th. 1920.