LUNCHEON TALK AT LYCEUM CLUB

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 175, 14 October 1927, Page 4

LUNCHEON TALK AT LYCEUM CLUB

PAN-PACIFIC CONFERENCE ADDRESS BY MR. COCKER Mrs. W. H. Parkes, the president of the Lyceum Club, presided at the monthly luncheon talk held in the club rooms yesterday. She introduced Mr. H. W. Cocker to the meeting and extended a welcome to him on behalf of the club, expressing the interest which she, as well as the other members, felt in the subject of the Pan-Pacific Conference ecently held in Honolulu. Mrs.. Parkes also extended a very cordial welcome to Mrs. Pack and Miss ’Finke, members of the London Lyceum Club who are at present visiting New Zealand and who were guests at the luncheon talk, and to Mrs. Jackson, a member of the Lyceum Club in Dunedin. In commencing his address Mr. Cocker refuted the idea held by so many people that the Pan-Pacific Conference :ts essentially an American institution. That, ne said, was not quite the right way of regarding the organisation, Admittedly it was originated by a small body of American business men in Hawaii, who sought to protect their interests there as well as to generally look after Hawaii’s welfare, but out of that small beginning had grown this much larger movement which embraced all countries around the Pacific and cared equally for each other’s w;elfare. The organisation out of which had grown the series of conferences of which the second has just concluded, is controlled, said Mr. Cocker, by the Pacific Council and has affiliate;d organisations in every interested country. Each affiliated country is invited to send delegates to the conference, those degelates having to attend purely in their capacities as private individuals, as the conference is essentially non-political and non-party. It is primarily an educative and scientific body set up to investigate the differences of the countries bordering on the Pacific, and resolve those differences in such a way as shall make for a better understanding between nations. Tho importance which Great Britain attaches to the conference was shown by the very strong delegation which she sent to the last one. Headed by Sir Frederick White, who for some years was President of the Indian National Legislative Assembly, and is the possessor of a very powerful personality and an abundance of tact, the British delegation included such men as Sir Lionel Curtis, Professor Webster, Viscount Castlereagh, Mr. Malcolm McDonald, and others. Representing business, press, academic; and other interests were the 41 or 42 delegates who came from the United States, and who proved to be very different and much more prepossessing than the kind of folk we are inclined to regard typical Americans as being. More interesting perhaps were the delegations that came from the East, Japan’s representatives being perhaps more thoroughly representative of every phase of Japanese life than were any other delegates of the various classes in their respective countries. At first thought the Chinese delegation did not seem very representative, as all its members belonged to the Nationalist Parfy. However, though China is very torn by internal dissension at the present time, there exists in that country very little real difference between its various parties’ opinions on the question of foreign affairs. The first three days of the conference were devoted to the discussion cf China and her affairs, said Mr. Cocker. The question of mandates, the problem of the industrialisation of the East and its effect upon European trade and matters affecting the possibility of trading with Japan were all thoroughly dealt with, as also was the question of population problems in Japan and China. There was little 'discussed that greatly affected New Zealand, Mr. Cocker saying that the situation in Samoa was the chief subject of discussion of interest to our delegates. Great interest was shown by all the members of the conference in the Maoris, and they were generally regarded as one of our greatest assets. There; was widespread interest shown, and many questions asked regarding the splendid relations that exist between the Maoris and the white people, and many delegates were eager to understand how that amicable state was maintained. Overshadowing the whole conference, declared the speaker, were questions that affected China and Japan, the former country being the pivot for practically all discussions, no matter what they commenced from. %!r. Cockeir was emphatic in declaring that the idea possessed by many people that Japan was contemplating an attack on New Zealand was quite incorrect. They are much more concerned in Japan with their own economic problems than with any thought of attacking so small a country as New Zealand. Having reached a turning point in its economic history, Japan is racking its brains to fine some way of relieving the urgency of the situation that during the last twenty-five years has grown up within it. Japanese imports of foods have grown rapidly for the past 20 years, as also has its population, which for hundreds of years was practically the same, but since IS6O has doubled itself. All available land in Japan has been put under cultivation, and in many places the actual amount of cultivated land is decreasing owing to the continued growth of building. The building of many more factories and general industrialisation such as took place in Great Britain has been suggested as a remedy for the Japanese situation, but there is the fear in Japan’s mind that she will be unable to compete with other countries on industrial lines, as the only asset she had, that of cheap labour power, is rapidly vanishing, and her work people have now to be paid practically the same wages as those paid in other lands. *The question of migration was discussed, but Japan does not wish to solve her problems in that way if it is possible to do so in any other. Their absolute exclusion from the United States, the Japanese people regard as an unqualified insult, and consider that their national honour has been affected. Even though thejr might not avail themselves of the entree to the States, the Japanese desire that America should modify its policy of exclusion of Japanese peoples. Of

such a course being taken by America, there was little likelihood, by the feeling shown at the Conference, said the speaker, and Japan was rather left to feel that the door of America has been deliberately slammed in its face, by its being denied even the small quota allowed to other countries. Perhaps the most interesting point of the whole conference, concluded Mr. Cocker, was the fact that no motions or resolutions were passed, which though at times gave the appearance of matters having been left in the; air after half-hearted discussion, yet left each delegate free to go back to his own country and act as he felt best in the light of the open and unhampered discussion that had taken place at Honolulu.