The New Commonwealth Society

Abstract

THE annual report of the New Commonwealth Society for the year ended September 30, 1937, refers to considerable progress in the development of international sections, new groups or sections having been formed in the United States, Austria and Czechoslovakia, and arrangements made for the Swiss Europa Union to perform the functions which would otherwise be carried on by a Swiss Section of the Society. The existing' groups in Germany and Hungary have been considerably developed, and development in other countries during the period has to some extent outpaced the progress of the British section. Disappointing results have followed the introduction of facilities for the enrolment of group associate members, but the first international conference organized by the Society, held at Pontigny, August 13–23, was an outstanding success, as was a New Commonwealth Society Youth Camp at Llan-dinan in August, which included German, Dutch, Czechoslovakian, Norwegian, Hungarian, Greek, Swiss and British representatives. Four new pamphlets were issued during the year, and the British Section concentrated its attention on an attempt to lay the foundations of an area organization throughout Great Britain. The report of the New Commonwealth Institute for the same period refers to the initiation of a Monthly Information Bulletin and to the formation of four special research committees, dealing respectively with legal, military, political and psychological questions. The Legal Research Committee adopted as a basis for its discussions Prof. Strupp's study and proposals for an International Peace Convention, and considerable progress has been made in the establishment of an adequate research library on problems of peaceful change and collective security.