PANAMA PRESS CONGRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 243, 23 March 1915, Page 7

PANAMA PRESS CONGRESS.

ITS PURPOSE.

AN INTERESTING LETTER.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, March 21

Tlie following is an extract from a letter sent by Mr Walter Williams, Director, to Mr Clifton, 'New Zealand Commissioner to the Panama Exposition, explaining the purpose of the International Press Congress to be held at Sail Francisco in July next, to which New Zealand is invited to send five delegates:—

"The Congress will consider professional questions of importance to the world's journalism. It wiH serve no sectarian, partisan, sectional or national purpose, but will seek to promote by public address, conference and discussion the highest interests of the best journalism, and through journalism the public welfare. In organisation and aims it will be similar to the World's Press Parliament held at St. Louis in 1!)04, which was opened by Mr John Hay, Secretary of State of the United States. Delegates to liie congress are being invited from every association and institute in journalism in each nation, as well as from every state and national association of journalism in tlie United States, '."'lie (Jovernors of the various States of this nation have each'been asked to name five delegates. Many delegates have been appointed, and the programme and personnel of the Congress ensure its being the most popular journalistic eveis» of the decade. In addition to the delegates chosen, I am asking the Commissioners to the Panama-Pacific Exposition from countries outside the United States to obtain the appointment of five delegate? to the Congress from each nation representetd at the Exposition. Sucli delegates should of course be selected from among the most representative and eminent of the nation's journalists. They will receive a Oordial welcome from their colleagues of the press of the United States, will be enrolled in the Congress membership, and will be given the special facilities i-xtended by the Exposition, the city of San Francisco and the State of California. Will you not at your first convenience ask the Government of New Zealand to appoint five delegates therefrom, and when appointed, will you not advise me of their names and addresses? If 'you will advise me also who has been selected as ehaiiman of tlie delegation, I will on behalf of our committee designate him as Honorary Vice-President of the Congress. I should bo glad to receive from you also any suggestions regarding associations of journalists in New Zealand or regarding the programme of the Conference."