WOMAN AT VERSAILLES

Taihape Daily Times, 11 July 1919, Page 3

WOMAN AT VERSAILLES

A TAILENTED LINGUIST. I One. of the most envied women in the world to-dayfis Miss’Claire‘~Alison the only representative of her sex‘to be present at the meeting at Versailles at which the Allies presented their tcrrns to the German envoys, Miss Alison was there by virtue of her superlative abilities as one of the huge lsecrcatarial stafl’ engaged in connection with the Peace" Confer. once, « _ It was ‘by no accident or favouritism that Miss Alison was singled out for this duty. By long study, aided by a natural ,gift_ for languages, she has made herself so pro ficient that when the question -arose as to who should be selected to perform secretarial Work at the Versailles meeting it was inevitable ‘that M’-isms Alison shvould suddenly spring from obscurity to what amounts to fame. Ambng the other accomplishments which eminently equipped her for work at the Peace Conference was the fact that she is able to write both French‘ and German ‘shorthand in" the systems. peculiar to those countries. She has a. wide knowledge of German, French, Italianfi Dutch and Spanish. A When she wished to perfect her knowledge of a tongue she‘ would gooff for a long stay in the country in‘ which it was spoken. In this way she

has acted as secretary to a Prussian in Stettin, and has sojourned in the Tyrol, and among other places, at Austria, and Genoa. As a matter’ of fact, -she was engaged for Feétce C'6n—‘ ferehce service as’ a; ‘translator, - --——Z----Qlll .