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International Council of Women Meet in Jugoslavia

By Amy Brown Lyman

First Counselor in the General Presidency of the National Woman's Relief Society and President of the Relief Society in Europe

BY APPOINTMENT OF THE NATIONAL WOMAN'S RELIEF SOCIETY AND THE YOUNG WOMEN'S MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION, MRS. LYMAN WAS COMMISSIONED TO ATTEND THE SESSIONS AND REPORT THE PROCEEDINGS TO THE ORGANIZATIONS

WHEN THE three hundred delegates to the International Convention of Women gathered in Jugoslavia, from September 28 to October 9, 1936, the ideals which prompted this organization stimulated the imagination of the thirty-six affiliated councils representing forty million women. These delegates were a group of exceptionally fine women, many of them outstanding and brilliant. Among them were doctors, lawyers, business women, teachers, artists, social workers, and members of legislative bodies. The American delegation consisted of only four: Dr. Louise C. Ball of New York; Mrs. Charles H. White, living temporarily in Athens, Greece, but originally from Boston; Mrs. M. R. Jennings of Santa Barbara, California; and myself.

When it was decided to meet in Jugoslavia, the National Council of that country chose Dubrovnik as the most interesting city in which to hold the sessions because it is a typical medieval town, the old part being preserved exactly as it was centuries ago. Dubrovnik, anciently known as Ragusa, was founded in the seventh century, as one of the smallest republics that ever existed. It is situated on the beautiful Adriatic Sea backed by huge mountains. A tall tower in the center of the city was used anciently as a lookout. On one of the sidewalls is a huge arsenal. King Peter Street, the main one, is rather narrow and about one mile long. The other streets, all paved with stone, are even narrower-not more than eleven feet wide. The rest of the city is made up of tall buildings which look like great tenements all joined together. Each family owns its own suite of rooms. Wagons and automobiles are not allowed in the old city. The streets are too narrow and the people too numerous.

The meetings covered eleven days and consisted of five public general sessions, held in the evenings; committee meetings; and executive meetings for officers only. No meetings were held on the one Sunday intervening which was spent on a trip to the chateau of Queen Marie, who is still in mourning for her husband, Alexander I, who was killed in France two years ago. She gave a lovely tea and reception for the delegates.

I was assigned to the special committee on constitution and by-laws, also to the committees on Peace, Suffrage, Trades and Professions, Public Health and Education. The two sessions I attended lasted from 3:30 p. m. to 6:30 p. m. One thing that lengthened the meetings is the fact that everything has to be done in the three official languages: English, German, and French-every report, every motion, every second, and every comment.