Smyrna times., 1919-11-12
FIRST International Conference
in History of World Opens
at Washington, D. c.,
October %.
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES
TO BE DISCUSSED
NafIonal Women's Trade Union League
OF America to Act as Hostess
Belgium and Great Britain
Send Distinguished Women
as Advisors.

working women from all parts of
the globe will gather In Washington on
october % at the invitation of the
National Women's Trade Union league
OF America to take part in the first
International Congress of Working
women ever held in the history of the
world.
An official call to the conference
has been sent to labor organizations in
thirty-four countries asking that they
send delegates to the conference. Each
country is entitled to ten delegates
and to ten votes on the floor of the
congress; also to one member on the
executive committee. So far Finland,
Czecho-Slovakia, Poland, France, ia
pan. Belgium, England, the Argentine
and Canada have announced delegates
Tor the congress, Belgium being the
hrst to announce that Nine. Victoire
Cape, who had been chosen to serve
as an advisor at the international la
Dor conference called for October 20,
would arrive in the United States in
time to serve as one of the two Bel
gian delegates at the women's con-
greSs. Margaret Bondfeld, secretary
of the National Federation of Women
Workers in Great Britain, who will
also serve as an advisor to the British
delegation at the labor conference, is
coming to take her place on the floor
Of the Congress Of Working Women.
1t was Miss Bondfield who, during
her visit to the United States In the
spring and early summer, presented
to the Women's Trade Union league,
assembled in the seventh biennial
convention of that organization in
Philadelphia in June, the resolution Of
the standing committee of the WOm-
ems Industrial Organizations of Eng
land that the American league be
asked to call an International Con-
grss of Working Women to meet in the
United States in the autumn. Such
conference had been previously dis
cussed by women's labor organizations
of various countries and would have
been held in a European city probably
had not the League Of Nations society
decided upon Washington as the meet
ing place for an international labor
conference.
The committee on international re-
latiOns of the Women's Trade Union
league, which is In charge of the con-
gress, has as its chairman Mrs. Ray
mond Robins, president Of the league;
Miss Mary Anderson, chief of the wom-
ems bureau Of the United States de-
partment Of labor; Miss Agnes Nestor,
vice president of the international.
Glove Workers union; Miss Julia
O'Connor, president Of the Telephone
Operators union, and Miss Rose
Schneidermann, president Of the New
York women's Trade Union league.
In discussing the congress, Mrs.
! Robins says: "Women must come for
ward now and accept their responsi-
bilities. They can no longer have their
affairs attended to by proxy. Men
cannot bear the entire responsibility
for the world. They must be assisted
By women, and the women, should,
come forth willingly, prepared TO take
I'D their share Of the burden Of see
ing that things go right with the world.
At the Congress Of Working Women
we viii discuss problems affecting
women which we. as women workers.
are particularly able to consider, that
we may recommend how conditions OF
the labor Of women and children can
be improved"