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Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1920, Page 2

The Press Congress of the World is to assemble in Sydney in the middle of October next. The Congress will Consist of an aggregation of prominent personages connected with the Press from almost every country in the world. The occasion will be a notable one, and Mr Massey, Prime Minister of the Dominion, has very rightly seized the oeca- ■ sion to extend to the visiting press- ! men an invitation to include New Zea- | land in their tour, and while in the Dominion they will be given facilities I for seeing the country under the conj duct of Government patronage. The i pressmen of the world have a permnn- | ent international organisation now, Dr j Walter Williams, Dean of Journalism . at the University of Missouri, being 1 the President. The last great gatlierI ing was in 1915 at 'San Francisco in I 1915, at .the time of the Panama Exposi- ! tion. Despite it being war time no less | than 957 people attended the Congress, j The Congress was fixed to sit every ; third year, but owing to the war, and the dislocation of shipping the gathering has had to be put back five instead of three years. No doubt it will bo convened regularly hereafter. At the coming Conference representatives are to bo present from the United States of America, and the Central and South American Republics, China, Japan, the Straits Settlements, Dutch Indies and India. The British press is certain to be well represented, and representatives of the Press Associations of France, Italy, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland, and in fact all the Allied and lately neutral countries will participate. The Con gross promises in point of fact to be vpiry numerously attended, and the business sheet will be so voluminous that it will be made into sectional divisions and dealt with by sub-committees who will report the more important decisions of an international character for the consideration of the Congress as a whole. This -association of world journalists coming together at triennial periods should have its influence on world politics. It should tend to a clearer understanding, resulting from first hand knowledge of national character andaspirations. There should be great possibilities arising from the gathering of world pressmen, and thus will be exampilfied again, the old adage that in times of peace the pen is mightier than the sword.