DIVISION OF INTERCOURSE AND EDUCATION REPORT OF THE ACTING DIRECTOR TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The continuance of the world war which broke out on August 1, 1914, has caused the Division of Intercourse and Education to confine its activities to two fields. The first includes the information and education of public opinion in the United States as to those underlying principles of national policy and national conduct that are most likely to promote an international peace which rests upon a foundation of justice and human liberty. The second includes those activities which have as their purpose the bringing the peoples of the several American republics more closely together in thought and in feeling. Every proper effort has been made to dissociate the name and work of the Division from those unfortunate and extreme manifestations of personal and group feeling which at a time of severe nervous tension and individual excitement take unpatriotic and anti-national forms. As the difficulties of remaining sober-minded and clearsighted increase, so the duty to remain sober-minded and clear-sighted increases, particularly in the case of an organization which, like the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has as its goal no immediate or utopian accomplishment, but rather a steady if necessarily slow progress toward an increasingly better and more peaceful condition of international relations throughout the world. Movements to advance international interdependence and international understanding are of two distinct kinds. One of these is both misleading and harmful, and by its methods and processes would make the achievement of its declared aim quite impossible. The other is wise and statesmanlike and follows the path by which such progress as has already been made has been achieved. Of these two methods of promoting what may be called internationalism the former would proceed by denouncing all nationalistic and patriotic feeling whatsoever in order to exalt the super-national brotherhood of man and to lay stress upon a worldwide community without national ties or national ambitions. To use a figure drawn from chemistry, this might be called colloidal internationalism. It is hopelessly impractical as an ideal and hopelessly unsound and unstable as a public policy whether for individuals or for nations. The second method of promoting internationalism would strengthen and develop nationalistic and patriotic sentiments and aims, in order that when so strengthened they may be used without impairment or weakening as elements in a larger human undertaking of which each nation should be an independent and integral part. Pursuing the same figure, this might be called crystalline internationalism. The strength and beauty of the whole international structure when complete would then depend upon and reflect the strength and beauty of each of its national elements. The influence and activities of the Division of Intercourse and Education have consistently and persistently been devoted to strengthening the movement for an internationalism which is crystalline in contrast to the movement for internationalism which is colloidal. The admirable motto of the Conciliation Internationale states the case in a nutshell: Pro patria per orbis concordiam. Administration of the Division IN THE UNITED STATES The building at 407 West 117th Street, New York, contains the offices of the Division as well as the offices of the Division of Economics and History and those of the American Association for International Conciliation. The annual rental of the building remains $1,600. The direct coöperation thus made possible between these two Divisions and with the American Association for International Conciliation is proving of great value and would not be possible save for the close proximity of their several offices. The correspondence that has been carried on during the year has dealt in no small degree with plans for the settlement of the present war and with plans for the better organization of the world to the end that war may be prevented in future. Many of these plans and suggestions contain ideas of great value and deserve study. A large mass of literature of this sort has been collected, studied and forwarded to the main library of the Endowment at the executive offices in Washington. The collection of cuttings from newspapers and periodicals has been considerably increased. This collection is of growing value for reference and is constantly used in the study of the development of public opinion in this and in other countries. For the information of the public, books and pamphlets upon important phases of world organization have been widely distributed. It is of interest to note that notwithstanding the rigid censorship, acknowledgments of these sendings are constantly received from European countries. The large correspondence of the Division with individuals in belligerent countries has been maintained so far as possible. In almost every case letters received have been examined by censors, but rarely altered by them. Important letters and reports have been printed and sent to the Trustees for their confidential information. Translations of foreign letters and documents of public interest have been supplied to various newspapers and periodicals for publication. IN EUROPE The impossibility of carrying on constructive work in Europe has naturally reduced the activity of the European Bureau to a minimum. The offices and only such staff as is necessary to maintain them, are at 24 rue Pierre Curie, Paris. Under the personal direction and advice of Baron d'Estournelles de Constant, Madame Puech whose husband is Secretary of the European Bureau and was early summoned for military service, has carried on the regular routine, including much correspondence, interviews with callers and the collection and distribution of important periodicals, pamphlets and books. A large number of appeals for financial assistance have been received at the European Bureau from individuals and from societies who were sufferers because of the war. While it was neither possible nor allowable to divert the funds of the Endowment to such purposes, Madame Puech and her associates have been able to be of great assistance to many such applicants by directing them to organizations that could give them aid. Much assistance has been also rendered through correspondence with members of the Advisory Council and others in finding the whereabouts of prisoners of war in order to relieve the anxiety of their families and friends and to enable personal gifts to be sent to them. Only two subventions in aid of societies were granted during the year. These were a subvention of 4,000 francs in partial support of the Frédéric Passy Library and a subvention of 2,072.60 francs to the Comité France Amérique. The Frédéric Passy Library, founded with the aid of the Endowment in 1914 as a memorial to the distinguished Frenchman whose name it bears, is situated in the university quarter of Paris not far from the office of the European Bureau. An increasing number of readers and students make use of this valuable collection of works on international subjects. Professors of the Faculty of Law and of the School of Political Science send their students to this library where not a few of them have found the material with which to pursue their advanced studies. Among those using the library are many foreigners, particularly South Americans. The Comité France Amérique, under the presidency of M. Gabriel Hanotaux, has rendered notable service by the collection and distribution of money and other articles to civil and military sufferers from the war. The financial report of the European Bureau, verified by the auditor M. Théodor Ruyssen, shows the following expenditures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1916: Administration expenses, including salaries, clerical assistance, rent and postage. Subventions to societies. Balkan Commission of Inquiry.. Distribution of Georges Bourdon's "L'Enigme Allemande”. Miscellaneous expenses at bank.... Total for Division of Intercourse and Education. .. Frs. 30,048.55 6,072.60 96.95 3,958.00 22.75 40,198.85 682.70 Total disbursements for fiscal year ending June 30, 1916....Frs. 40,881.55 THE ADVISORY COUNCIL IN EUROPE-THE EUROPEAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The continuance of the war has of course prevented any meetings of the Advisory Council in Europe and of the European Executive Committee. The President of the Council, Baron d'Estournelles de Constant, has, however, maintained regular correspondence with the members of the Council living in neutral countries and in countries allied with France. The great value of this correspondence will be evident at the close of the war. Work in Europe THE INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION The temporary offices of the Interparliamentary Union are still maintained at Christiania, Norway, under the direction of the permanent secretary-general, Dr. Christian Lange. No formal meetings have been held since 1914. In the Year Book of the Endowment for 1916 (p. 53) mention was made of two trips through belligerent and neutral countries made by Dr. Lange and of the important confidential reports which were the result of these trips. At the request of the Acting Director Dr. Lange has arranged to make a third trip in March and April, 1917, through both belligerent and neutral countries, beginning early in March, 1917, in order to report directly upon the progress made by public and official opinion during the past eighteen months. INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION LEAGUE, LONDON An annual subvention of $1,000 is granted in support of the work of the International Arbitration League. This subvention, which continues a personal gift originally made by Mr. Carnegie, insures an additional income of equal amount from another source. The war has restricted to some extent the work of this League. The League publishes the Arbitrator, and, notwithstanding the discontinuance of the former subvention to cover the cost of 1,000 copies annually, has continued to send out these copies without charge to the recipients. |