American Women Are Studying World Affairs

American Women Are Studying World Affairs
Election night was spent in New York City. Quite a good deal of interest was taken in the elections and the unanimous verdict seemed to be that the result showed dissatisfaction with the Hoover Administration and the Hawley-Smoot Tarriff, which Americans now believe is in part a cause of the depression from which they are suffering. United States is realising through tribulation that they are indeed a part of the world and that Ogden L. Mills of the Treasury Department. Washington, was speaking the truth when he said "The day of isolation in world affairs is over. The prosperity of each member of the world community is in a large measure, dependent upon the prosperity of all.

What a place New York is with its skyscrapers and traffic jams and hurrying, high-tension millions! Yet crossing on the ferry one night from Passaic, N.J.. just after dark, it looked a fairy city, with its towers and domes picked out in lights against the dusky sky. On another occasion looking down on it from the thirtieth story of a hotel, it presented a picture of extreme beauty, but to live here and be jambed around year in and year out must be a harrowing experience. I was fortunate in being asked to lunch or dine with the women of Wall Street, an executive croup of women called Zonta, The Women's International League for Peace, and The American Women's Association, the latter a group which meet in a four million dollar building for which women raised the money. It is really a women's hotel and is managed by women. At this event I was introduced by Ann Morgan, daughter of [Pierport?] Morgan, an exceedingly able and likeable woman. I had not much time to see the shows but I did manage to hear Eva Le Gallienne as Juliet. It is said in New York that she is the best Juliet New York has seen. Miss Le Gallienne has founded the Civic Repertory Theatre. She wants to give the people the benefit of the very best in drama. A young woman, just turned thirtv, honored bv many Colleges with degrees, acclaimed a great actress and a person of remarkable energy, Miss Le Gallienne is indeed a great American.

Talk about London fog, one can see it by going to Pittsburg some muggy lay when there is no wind to lift the smoke. The morning I arrived one couldn't see across the street. I was billeted in Pittsburg in the home of a Virginian gentleman Mr. and Mrs. Carrol Miller. I enjoyed hearing his prolonged drawl. They had lived eight years in Japan and several in London, England, so their outlook was international rather than national. They were close personal friends of Woodrow Wilson and a large signed photograph of him hung in the library. I was there on Armistice Day and was asked to speak over the radio. From the same city I spoke on a nation- wide hook-up on the subject "Since we got the vote!" At the public meeting; in Pittsburg I met many Canadians.

Everywhere I found American women carefully studying foreign affairs and at the Foreign Policy Association dinner in the Astor Hotel. New York, the gentleman who sat at my right Mr. Ivy Lee of the Rockfeller[sic] Foundation, said "Our women knew much more about foreign affairs than men. They are the most hopeful factor in the situation." Their extreme interest in the World Court, the Kellog[sic] Pact and the London Naval Conference bears our tins idea. It is said that Mr. Hoover will attempt to have the "Lame Duck Session" of this winter bring United States into the World Court. It is at any rate certain that the United States is in a mood to listen to the arguments regarding it place in the world community.

The Foreign Policy Association of Columbus Ohio, asked Mr. Jas. MacDonald of New York, and me to discuss for 25 minutes each the "Changing British Empire." It is a subject in which I am keenly interested and I happened to have with me a couple of books by Zimmerman on it. I was anxious to be fair to Canada's part in the change and so got in touch with the Department of External Affairs, Ottawa, and they most kindly sent me much material. I enjoyed this evening the most of all and we had an hour of rapid fire questions afterward. The United States is keenly interested in the changing status of the Dominions. Contrary to most audiences, this one was well-informed on Canadian History, and in the audience was a Professor in the Ohio State University, who has written a volume on Canadian History.

Philadelphia seemed to me a satisfactory city. It combines very nicely the culture and leisure of the days and the industrialism and efficiency of the present. Miss Gertrude Ely made the arrangement to have me address the State Convention of the League of Women Voters. There I met Miss Grace Abbott, the head of the Child Welfare Department at Washington. I found them a very splendid group. Arrangement was made to have me hear the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. I do not claim to have good judgment in music, but I did greatly enjoy the concert.
With two speeches in Detroit and two in St. Louis I will be through, and I will he glad.
Yours sincerely,
AGNES C. MACPHAIL.
November 15th, 1930.