Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Minutes of Informal Meeting, September 27 and 28, 1926

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Informal meeting of Members of International Executive and Consultative Members present in Geneva, September 27-28, 1926.

(Mrs. Lola Lloyd sent a note asking to be present as consultative member the U.S.A. Section, but unfortunately her note was not received until after the meeting.)

C. Marshall reported the decisions taken informally at the meeting of the Executive members of the 7th September, and asked that definite decision be taken regarding the next meeting of the International Executive and arrangements for next year's Summer School, in order that the agenda and [program] might be got out in good time.

After a discussion of a plan of work put forward by M. Doty and of the whole question of the relations between the national Sections and the International Executive and between differing points of view held by different Sections as regards methods of work that should be pursued by the International Executive and by the Geneva office, it was agreed to make the following recommendations to the full Executive:

a. That it was very desirable that a small [subcommittee] of the International Executive, to consist of the two Vice-Presents, the Recording and Financial Secretary and the League of Nations Referent, should meet with the General Secretary at the Maison Internationale at least four times a year, arranging if possible for these meetings to take place at times coinciding with some important activity of the League of Nations, (e.g. a Council meeting, a meeting of the Mandates Commission, or of the Preparatory Committees on Disarmament or Economic Conference). M. Doty said that such an arrangement would be a very great help to her in carrying on the work at International Headquarters. Any action she takes is [criticized] from one quarter or another, and she has no one to share the responsibility with her. It was felt that the [traveling] expenses of the members of the [Subcommittee] should (might?) be paid from League funds, and it was decided to ask Miss Addams if she would agree to the Reserve Fund being drawn upon for this purpose if necessary. The representatives of the British Section said that the proposed arrangement would, they felt, be sure to make it much easier for them to get ↓the↑ support and interests of the British Section for the work at international headquarters.

b. It was agreed that the matter of applications for the international secretaryship in view of the time when Miss Doty will leave us next year should be placed in the hands of the proposed [Subcommittee] [page 2] of Officers, and that applications, thought suitable, should be circulated to members of the Executive before the next full meeting of the Executive in the spring.

c. With regard to the next meeting of the Executive, at the suggestion of Madame Duchêne it was agreed that it should be held in Belgium in view of the fact that the proposed [Subcommittee] would in any case be meeting in Geneva between now and then, and that it would probably be a great help to our small Belgian Section and Lucie Dejardin to have the presence of members of the International Executive in that country with the possibilities for propaganda which that meeting would afford. It was pointed out that Belgium would be a convenient and relatively cheap place of meeting.

d. Arrangements for Summer School. After a discussion of this year's Summer School at Gland, and of various possibilities suggested for further developments, it was agreed to recommend:

I. On Hilda Clark's suggestion that an effort be made to arrange for a short Summer School of, say a week or ten days duration, to be held at Gland (Miss Thomas having very kindly expressed her willingness) every year immediately before the Assembly, for the benefit of workers in the W.I.L.P.F. wishing to study subjects which would be dealt with by the Assembly.

II. That in 1927 a large Summer School of a rather special character be held, also at Gland, for the purpose of bringing together members of the International and National Executives and other active workers in the W.I.L.P.F. (it could include "I") to discuss the differences of outlook which have been apparent in the League for some time and which made themselves felt at the Dublin Congress. It was felt that for some of the active workers, in all the Sections, not only to meet at a Congress but to live together for a fortnight or so, would provide a needed opportunity for solving these differences and for obtaining an understanding of each others outlook and a knowledge of the practical work being done on different lines in the different countries.

It was further agreed that the [program] of such a Summer School should include one or two questions of immediate practical policy. It was agreed that M. Rappard should be approached to discover the possibilities of cooperation with any plans being made by Geneva University for lectures on similar lines. The British Section offered to [organize] the Summer School for 1927 and it was agreed that the Standing Summer School Commission should be informed of this fact.

Mme. Duchêne hoped that the next Summer School would be devoted to the study of colonial problems. She suggested that there should be speakers representing the native population and the colonial power from each country studied. She thought of this school as having a different form from that of proceeding schools and exposed a summary of the [program].

She [recognized] the value of the English proposition, and that such a summer School -- as Dr. Clark suggested -- should be held every ↑year↓ [page 3] but believing that such a school would not be incompatible with the [realization] of her own project she suggests that the two schools be held successively next year. The English project should be worked out by the English Section and her project by the French Section. Taking into consideration the difference in method and outlook of the two Sections, she is of the opinion that, in general, it is preferable that one Section only assume the responsibility for the [organization] of the Summer School each year, alternating as far as possible between the Anglo-Saxon, Latin and other Sections.

Madam Duchêne requests:

1. That each Section consider it a duty, even if the [program] of the Summer School does not entirely correspond to its national mentality, to carry on propaganda for it in its country.

2. That each Section feel itself morally bound to send at least two members to attend the School courses, with the object of reporting to their Sections on their return on the problems studied.

This proposition was approved.

Madame Duchêne proposes that the various projects be submitted to Mme Jouve, Chairman of the Committee.

M. Doty reported that an invitation had come from the Czech Section to hold the next Summer School in Czechoslovakia. This invitation should of course be forwarded to the Summer School Commission with this meeting's recommendations. Madame Duchêne recalled the invitation received before this from Mr. [Stefan] Zweig to hold a Summer School in the Tyrol. In any case the Czech Section should be warmly thanked for their invitation, and it was agreed that after the Summer School, which for [illegible] special reasons it was desirable to hold near Geneva, it would be a good thing to go to Central or Eastern Europe again.

Another subject of which C. Marshall had given notice, namely relations of the W.I.L.P.F. with the I.C.W. and the I.W.S.A., was referred for preliminary discussion to the [Subcommittee] of Officers.

Madame Duchêne considers it necessary, in order to avoid misunderstandings such as have arisen in the past, to find a means by which the French Section could set forth the reasons which actuates its attitude [illegible] on various points which it considers of vital importance. She therefore proposes a conference between delegates of the British and French Sections. The meeting might be arranged some [weekend] and could take place somewhere on the French coast. [page 4]

M. Doty's [Program] of Work. The following plan of work was submitted by M. Doty: --

I. Regular Office ↑[work]↓, answering correspondence, getting out "Pax" as usual every month in the three languages, keeping in touch with the League of Nations and people in Geneva, continuing with the general improvement of the house.

II. Completion and sending out of pamphlet on Dublin Congress Resolutions and the amended Constitution. Work on the large Congress Report. The individual reports to be sent back to the Sections for their O.K. except in the case of the far distant Sections, such as the U.S., Australia and Japan. The total reports not to occupy more than 70 pages, which would mean an average of three pages per Section. Madame Duchêne to be jointly responsible with M. Z. Doty for the contents of the Congress Report. All material to be gone over by both Madame Duchêne and M. Z. Doty. Because of delays, due to sending material to Sections for correction, it was [recognized] that it would be impossible to complete the full report before December.

III. The preparation for the League of Nations of:

a) A Statement for the Hand Book of International [organizations] of the League of Nations.

b) A Statement for the Trimestriel Bulletin of the League of Nations of our recent activities.

c) A Statement of the educational work in pacifism which the W.I.L. has done for use in League publications.

IV. The compilation for the W.I.L. of a short historical outline on the international work of the W.I.L. which can later be printed in a pamphlet.

V. The classification and arrangement of all the Resolutions passed by the W.I.L. at the different Congresses.

VI. A campaign for International members, so that, as far as possible, the expenses of Headquarters may come from the payment of dues by members all over the world.

Consultation with each Section as to what they can do to help this work along.

VII. The preparation for a financial statement covering the year M. Z. Doty has been in Geneva, from November 1st 1925 to November 1st 1926. Showing just what money has come in and where from and just what money has been expended, how much each item of work costs.

VIII. Continuation of the work of improving the house, as fast as money comes in for this purpose. [page 5]

M. Doty was [authorized] to take a four weeks' vacation at the end of the year (combining two weeks' of this year's and two weeks of next year's vacation).

In the course of the discussion Hilda Clark expressed the view that the work of the International Office should be defined as collection and circulation of information:

I. From the League of Nations;

II. From other international [organizations];

III. Between National Sections.