SOME PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS FROM THE WOMEN’S PAN-PACIFIC CONFERENCE.

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 399, 18 October 1928, Page 1

SOME PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS FROM THE WOMEN’S PAN-PACIFIC CONFERENCE.

(By Mrs T. E. Taylor.)

Dear White Kibbon Sisters, l thought you would be interested to learn something of our visit to the Pan-Pacific Conference at Honolulu and our doings there. We left Auckland in the “Aorangi on a beautiful sunny afternoon, .list July. A big crowd of friends came down to see us oft. Flowers, streamers and good wishes made tin* scene a very gay one as we left the wharf. Telegrams, letters, more flowers and good wishes awaited us on board, and we went oft into the unknown filled with the spirit or anticipation, which was amply fulfilled before we again saw New Zealand. Two days from Auckland and one from Suva, we sailed into tropical heat, which never abated until we reached the same place on our return journey. At Suva the W.C.T.U. friends were waiting for me, and a delightful dm < followed. Then morning tea with the members of both the European and the Indian Women s Union. I had a talk with these interesting women, gave them our gieetings from New Zealand and from Mrs LeeCowie; these they received with much evident pleasure. The Indian women members are all very young and very charming they looked like so many brides as they stood or sat in the shaded room of the Mission school, for they still wear the full native Indian dross-

pure white, reaching to the ankles, and the long white veil draped over the head and reaching to the hem of the skirts —no shoes or stockings, and, of course, no hats. Miss Maude Griftin, of New Zealand (now teaching in Fiji), joined our delegation at Suva, and v ’e saw Mi Caughley for a few minutes only on the wharf.

A week later we were at our destination—beautiful Honolulu. A band played our boat into the wharf, and friends flocked on board to bid us welcome. First came Dr. Condlifie with lets (flower chains) and greetings for Miss Chaplin, Mrs Fraer and myseif. Then friends from the W.C.T.U. with more leis and greetings; after that a crowd of hosts and hostesses from the Pan-Pacific Conference and Hqnolulu Committees, with still ntoie leis and greetings; after that the ever-present newspaper people, various photographers and other publicity agents, crowded around us. Greetings, alohas, flowers and hearty welcome were the order of the day.

After four hours of desperate struggle with the immigration officers and the Customs officials, we finally left the wharf, hot and battered, but not beaten, except those who had any spirits in their suit cases. The Collector of Customs at Honolulu is a woman, and she has put the fear of the law into all would-be friends of the boot-legging interests. Cars awaited us, and we were directly whirled off to our Conference Home. Honolulu was a dream of beauty in the soft tropical evening air. as we were motored along

splendid boulevards and palm-lined avenues. The magnificent poincianas in theii scarlet and green meeting over our heads, the glorious gardens, tiie pink and golden shower trees (acacia), the palms and crotons were too much for us to take in. Added to this were the delightful glimpses of mountain and green valley, of sea and headland, until one felt impelled to cry out in an “ecstasy of beauty,” for it was almost too much for us to bear in silence.

Out* drive ended at the Punahoii School, which consists of a number of fine halls and buildings scattered at intervals over sixty-eight acres of delightful park land, tropical gardens, smooth lawns, lily ponds, swimming pool, starts grounds and broad drives, constitute the campus of this great school. Here we lived and worked for tw r elve never-to-be-forgotten days, learning to know and understand the women of eleven Pacific countries in their ideals and aspirations.

On arrival, we were met by the Secretaries and Hostesses and Mi Alexander Hume Ford, made very welcome, given our badges and instructions —then assigned our rooms and sent off with a Japanese message boy, w’ho conveyed us and our luggage to the assigned place. In no time we were downstairs again, being introduced and chatting hard to Americans, Chinese and Japanese delegates, to Philllpians, Koreans, Samoans and Hawailans, and an end less host of women gathered for the Conference. You can imagine the chatter as we moved across to the dining room in

Dole Hall —10'J women all getting to know out* another —able women gathered from the ends of the Pacific to learn and to teach, to give and to take for the good of i’acilic humanity, and all speaking in the English or American tongue. On Saturday, ISth August, the Conference was formally opened by Governor Farrington. .Miss Jane Addams was Conference Chairman, and speeches were made by Mrs Frances Mills Swanzey, Mr Alexander Ford, Governor Farrington and Miss Addams; after this, greetings were received from the various Pacific countries, and th" Conference was declared open. The Conference was earn* d out on the hound Table and Forum method, and those who have experienced this method know how strenuous it is for those who take a conscientious part in its deliberations. Nil a days was only long eough for us to realise that we had made just a start in the study between nations of such \ital questions as Education, Health, Social Service, Women in Industry and in Government. Then

it was time to bring in our lindiugs and close the Conference, with, as it were, our work just begun. The consciiuence of this was that a unanimous opinion was expressed that the Continence must continue to meet from time to time, and go on with an intensive study of flu* questions already opened up. It is obvious to ail who were there, that this will necessitate research work in each of tin* countries participating, and that women of ability will have to be found who can give the necessary time and study, in order to equip themselves as representatives of their own nation at these gatherings. We, who had the unique privilege of attending this Conference, are strongly of opinion that our younger women must take up this work. Those of University standing have surely a great contribution to make through the study of tlm problems that emerged from this Conference. It must be. that in Industrial and Social Science, in Health and Economics as well as Social Service, our highly-trained women have here a most valuable opportunity to give of their best in the solution of International needs, in these countries of the Pacific Area.

Contrasted with Industrial and S'Kiul conditions in New Zealand, the position of women and children in the Orient as set forth Dy tneir delegations, is nothing less than appalling. In these countries lowpail child and woman labour, added to long hours and night work, under anything but id»al conditions, is al most the rule in mills and factories everyw here.

Not only is this contributing largely to unemployment in other parts of tlie world, hut it is undermining the ph>steal and moral life ol every nation that refuses to face the consequences of employing in industry children of seven and eight years of age, and women who have to take with them, into mill or factory, babies of a few' weeks old, to lie on the floor all day long amidst the noise and dust of factory conditions. We found, as time passed in the Pound Table discussions that New Zealand had some little to give, hui much also to learn. We realized as never before that first of all she must put her own house in order. For, if the women of New’ Zealand are to help tin* women of the Pacific, it will be necessary for them to prove that fully-enfranchised women are equal to the lasks they undertook thirty six years ago, when first they received that enfranchisement.'

We have certainly not concentrated upon the full use of our power and influence as we might have done, and as our Oriental sisters have such high hopes of doing when they too win full and equal citizenship. At this moment they are working all they know how to gain the civic status that will enable them to make conditions of life and labour better for all concerned. Their aim is in the main towards Higher Education —better public health, a finer moral and ethical standard, and the protection of childlife and womanhood. Have we done to the utmost what we might have done along these lines? And, are we ready to show’ them how? For this is what they want; this is what they ask of us they want the best we have to give. Certainly, in the Social Service Section, we could claim that our country w’as practically free from the White Slave Traffic, that we had

no form of legalised prostitution, that we were doing what we could to eliminate the evils of alcoholism; also that considerable progress had been made in many branches of Child Welfare; that careful thought was being given to Penal Reform, and the care of the mentally defective. Apart from these things, we could not claim to have come iv s yet anywhere near the ideals of the Ion.: years of opportunity that lay behind us. Following on the Fan-Pacific Conference was a one-day Peace Conference, convened by Jane Addams. This proved an interesting gathering, and brought out tin fact that, while in the Southern Pacific we have pinned our faith very largely to the educational valu*

of the League of Nations Union, this is not so in the Northern Pacific. The women of the U.S.A. and Japan, and, to some extent, of Austialia, are working towards the same end through the Women’s League for Peace, founded by Jane Adda ms. Another interesting one-day Conference was a large gathering of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union int< rnational delegates, who had been present at the Pan-Pacific Conference. Greetings were received from nine I’acilic countries and experiences were exchanged, many worth-while addresses being given. The great speech of the day was that of Governor Farrington, of Hawaii; other outstanding speakers included Miss Jane Addams, Dr. Valeria Parker, Mrs Frances Parkes and Mrs Huland. Each of these spoke of the great benefits of prohibition on the national life of America, emphasising especially the changes wrought in Industrial, Home and Social life, and most of all the immeasurable gain to American child life. The personality of the delegates to the Pan-Pacific Conference was undoubtedly an outstanding feature of the w’hole affair. Here one met for the first time women whom one had known by name only, and had loved from afar, because of what they stood for. In a few moments we were as old friends in one another’s company,

with the true regard that arises from a common ideal and puipost^ Of this number were Miss Jane Adda ms, Dr. Valeria Parker, Mrs Harada, Mrs Gauntlet, of Japan, Miss Mary Anderson, Mrs Frances Parks and many another outstanding woman. Most interesting of all, however, were the Phillipina and Oriental women. The Orientals were not only charming of manner and personality, but, in many cases, they were the most outstanding figures of the Conference. This was due largely to the fact that they were well-selected as delegates, and came officially as women really representative of the best thought and culture of their nations. Of high standing in University life, in the medical profession, in industrial organisation, and in social service, as many of them were, this, combined with an * xcellent platform style, and. in many cases, with extreme youth, gave them preeminence in a gathering where women of ability were r.ot by any means at a discount. Most of the Oriental peoples are being, as it were, reborn into modern national industrial and social life they themselves are quite conscious of what is taking place, and are trying with all the enthusiasm of their educated youth and a clear vision, to adjust the new civilisation to the old, and the old to the new. The task before them is to accomplish in a few decades what it took Europe centuries to evolve. In this readjustment they want from the West only that which experience lias proved to be the most worthwhile. Nothing but the best will be of any value to them, hence they want nothing but the best, in health, education, in child welfare and legal status, or in industrial conditions. These people are willing U confer with us at round tables, and in that spirit. International and interracial goodwill and understanding may solve their problems and ours, preventing upheaval and disaster in the Pacific. Armaments are there in full strength, but they are utterly powerless to settle these questions of vital significance to the Oriental nations and ourselves. Questions of population, food supply, industrial conditions and national self-expression must be

settled by mutual understanding action; they cannot be settled by resort to arms. Mr Alexander Hume Ford said that this Conference of Women had been the “most worth-while of all the Pan-Pacific Conferences.” and 1930 should witness an even more w j; vh-while gathering.