PEACE AND ARBITRATION

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 274, 18 April 1918, Page 19

PEACE AND ARBITRATION

Supt.: Mrs Judson. It is with some sadness that 1 write mv first report of this department, not omy from the thought of the war of nations still raging, as it seems, as fiercely as ever, and our ideals of peace and brotherhood apparently no nearer attainment, but also that we have been able to do so little to bring them nearer. Act there is some hope in the gradual increase of the number of those who believe that a true and lasting peace can nevei be won by the sword, but only by the silent and steady growth of the spirit of love; and to foster this growth in ourselves and in the world is perhaps the most effective work that can now be done by those who desire to work for peace. Definite work under this department is not easy during this time of war; there are many, and some in our Union, who think that the time is not opportune for such work, hence the difficulty of united action. But many of us feel that now, when the spirit of war is so strong, it is more than ever necessary to do all that is possible to inculcate principles of peace in the minds of the young, who will O'* the builders of the civilisation of the future; and it is along this line that the work of the department has been carried on by the distribution amongst our public schools of a circular embodying the resolution unanimously passed at our last Convention. With reference to the

teaching of children on international lines. This work was taken in hand immediately on our return from Convention, and ha* been earned out with a t.m amount ol success, aa appeal being nt to every Union to take part in it This was responded to by the follow : ug Unions:—Ashburt , Cambridge, S. Dunedin, Gisb. e. Greymouth, Greytown, Hastings, Lower lluit, Morrinsville, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Otautau, Ponsonby, Pakiri, Richmond, Timaru, Waimate, Wakefield, Wanganui, Wanganui E., and Wakapuaka, to all of which thanks are due. In Otago, Napier, Greymouth, Wanganui, Wellington, and Nelson Districts circulars have been sent to every school, and I wisn to thank specially Miss McCarthy and Sister Moody-Bell, who worked Otago and Grey Districts respectively, and Mrs Neal, who, with the approval of the Wellington Dis trict Convention, sent to every school in that District. No report of any other work has been received from any Union except S. Dunedin, where a branch of the Woman’s International League has been established, and a Study Circle formed. Nelson has also had a fortnightly Stud> Class, and a small amount of literature has been distributed; and attempt was made to torm a branch of the W.1.L., but has not so far been successful. I am very conscious that the work done has been very far short of what I should have liked to see, but some good seed at least may have been sown, which we trust will bring forth its harvest in the future. Since the above was written, I have heard that a lady in Auckland, who is not a member of the W.C.T.U., has undertaken to send circulars to the headmasters of the Auckland schools