Document Group: CDGA
Provenance: Unknown
Size: 14 linear inches
Restrictions: None
Microfilm: None
Finding Aid: Checklist prepared by Anne Yoder, May 1998
This checklist is the property of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.
History
This group was originally named the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship Through the Churches. It had an International Committee, with its executive office in New York, New York. By 1920 its name had changed to the World Alliance for International Friendship Through the Churches, though its old name was still used at times, especially when referring to the international alliance. Though for a time there were national councils in 30 countries, it was mostly the British Council and the American Council that were active. It's general secretary for many years was Henry Atkinson. Other persons connected with the group were Frederick Lynch, Sidney Gulick, William Merrill, Laura Puffer Morgan, and William I. Hull and Benjamin Battin (both professors at Swarthmore College).
The Alliance was created in August 1914 at a conference in Constance, Germany, as an international organization that would work primarily to help Christian churches in its member countries influence their people and governments for peace. Its stated purpose was "to organize the religious forces of the world so that the weight of all churches and Christians can be brought to bear upon the relations of governments and peoples to the end that the spirit of peace and goodwill may prevail, and that there may be substituted arbitration for war in the settlement of international disputes; friendship in place of suspicion and hate; co-operation instead of ruinous competition; and a spirit of service and sacrifice rather than that of greed and gain in all transactions between the nations." In consequence the Alliance worked on such issues as disarmament, racial and religious minorities, the League of Nations, conscientious objection, refugees, peace education and arms control.
It is unclear from this collection when the Alliance was disbanded, though it did continue publishing a newsletter, in conjunction with the Church Peace Union, until 1956.
Contents of the Collection
Box 1 |
History and goals |
Correspondence, 1917-1939 |
Program work: 1914-1915 |
- Churches and International Friendship conference, Constance, Germany, Aug. 15, 1914 |
- Report by Dr. Benjamin Battin, International Organizer |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work: 1916 |
- First annual conference of the National Council, Garden City, New York, April 25-27, 1916 |
- First national conference of the American Council, Garden City, New York, April 25-27, 1916 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work: 1917-1918 |
- "Helps for Leaders of Discussion Groups" by Sidney Gulick, ca. 1917 [for discussion of Gulick's book A New Era in Human History] |
- "The Peace Negotiations of the Nations: Suggestions for Adequate Guarantees for Lasting Peace" |
- Report by Dr. Benjamin Battin, International Organizer, presented at the annual meeting of the Church Peace Union, Dec. 1917 |
- Annual survey, American Branch, 1917 |
- "A Challenge to the Churches of America," American Council, 1917? |
- Bylaws, 1917 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1919 |
- Reports by George Nasmyth to the International Committee: 1/ "The Roman Catholic Church and the League of Nations" and 2/ "The World Alliance and International Reconstruction" |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1920-1921 |
- "History, Work, Plans and Programs," American Council, ca. 1920? |
- "Principles and Methods of the American Branch..." |
- "America's Asiatic Problem and Its Solution" |
- Meeting minutes of the Committee on Reduction of Armaments, Jan. 19, 1921? |
- Minutes of the joint meeting with the Church Peace Union, May 12, 1921 |
- Congress on Reduction of Armaments, and the 6th annual meeting, American Council, Chicago, Illinois, May 17-19, 1921 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1922 |
- Planning and meeting minutes of the International Committee, Copenhagen, Denmark, August 07-10 |
- Seventh annual meeting of the American Branch, Cleveland, Ohio, May 16-18 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1923 |
- Congress on America and the Permanent Court of International Justice, and 8th annual meeting, American Council, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov. 13-15 |
- Call for the observance of World Court Week [Nov. 05-10] and World Court Sunday [Nov. 11] by American Council |
- Message from the Management Committee of the National Councils of the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship Through the Churches re: the present situation |
- Minutes of the joint meeting with the Church Peace Union, Oct. 04 |
- "Information and Advice for People Migrating to America," 1923? |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1924 |
- Reports by Rev. Dr. Alexander Ramsay, Organizing Secretary for Europe, re: his visits to the National Councils |
- Congress on World Peace and 9th annual meeting, American Council, Buffalo, New York, November 11-13 |
- Meeting minutes of Nexus Committee of the Church Peace Union, World Alliance, and Federal Council of Churches, January 28, October 31 |
- "Welcome and Christian Fellowship By the Churches to Migrating People: Program of International Co-Operation Among Churches for Christian Ministration" |
- "What Pastors and Churches Can Do in the Crusade for a Warless World" |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1925 |
- Meeting minutes of the International Committee, Stockholm, Sweden, Aug. 06-08 |
- Congress on Peace and Security and 10th annual meeting, American Council, Detroit, Michigan, Nov. 10-12 |
- National Study Conference on the Churches and World Peace, Washington, D.C., Dec. 01-03 |
- Letter from French National Committee to the Archbishop of Upsala, Feb. 07 |
- Minutes of the joint meeting with the Church Peace Union, Nov. 05 |
- Meeting minutes of the Nexus Committee, March 23, May 14 |
- Meeting minutes of the Executive Committee, Nov. 30 |
- "Full Text of the Locarno Treaties" |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1926 |
- Meeting minutes and reports of various committees, etc. |
- Report by Sir Willoughby Dickenson re: his visits to the National Councils |
- Speakers' Conference, Chicago, Illinois, June 10-11 |
- International Goodwill Congress and 11th annual meeting, American Council, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10-12 |
- "Military Training in American High Schools and Colleges: The Case for and Against" by William I. Hull |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1927 |
- Meeting minutes and reports of various committees, etc. |
- Report by Sir Willoughby Dickenson re: his visits to the National Councils |
- Report of the Committee on Interchange of Speakers and Preachers Between American and Great Britain, American Section |
- International Goodwill Congress and 12th annual meeting, American Council, St. Louis, Missouri, Nov. 09-11 |
- Miscellaneous |
Box 2 |
Program work, 1928 |
- Meeting minutes and reports of various committees, etc. |
- International Goodwill Congress and 13th annual meeting, American Council, New York, New York, Nov. 11-13 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1929 |
- "Bigger Guns or Better Homes?" by Hon. William E. Borah |
- International Goodwill Congress and 14th annual meeting, American Council, Nashville, Tennessee, Nov. 10-12 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1930 |
- "An Hour of Destiny" |
- "The London Naval Treaty" |
- "Hints for the Study of 'The Fight for Peace,'" ca. 1930? |
- "Alternatives to School O.T.C.'s" by E.B. Castle |
- "Condensed Outline of the History and Objectives of the Programme..." |
- "Armament: Expressions from Some Leaders of Public Thought in the United States" |
- International Goodwill Congress and 15th annual meeting, American Council, Washington, D.C., Nov. 10-12 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1931 |
- "Disarmament" |
- "Outline of the History and Objectives and Annual Reports of Its Executive Officers" |
- International Goodwill Congress and 16th annual meeting, American Council, Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 10-12 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1932 |
- "Outline of the History and Objectives and Annual Reports of Its Executive Officers" |
- International Goodwill Congress and 17th annual meeting, American Council, New York, New York, Nov. 10-12 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1933 |
- International Goodwill Congress and 18th annual meeting, American Council, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10-11 |
- Report from Henry Louis Henriod of the problems facing German Christians (such as the Communist Revolution, the boycott against the Jews, the National Socialist Revolution, etc.) |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1934 |
- "Program Suggestions for World Peace" |
- Meeting minutes of the Executive Committee, April 11 |
- Nineteenth annual meeting, American Council, New York, New York, Nov. 14 |
- "Why Don't They Fight? Open Letter to Friends of International Goodwill" by Fred B. Smith |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1935 |
- "History and Objectives, Program and Methods, Organizations and Comments" |
- "Handbook" [International Office, Geneva], Sept. 1931 - Aug. 1935 |
- Twentieth annual meeting, American Council, New York, New York, Nov. 11 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1936 |
- Meeting minutes of the Management Committee, Chamby, Switzerland, France, Aug. 15-18 |
- Twenty-first annual meeting, American Council, Denver, Colorado, Nov. 07-11 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1937 |
- Annual report, 1936-1937 |
- Meeting minutes of Executive Committee, April 06 |
- International Goodwill Congress and 22nd annual meeting, American Council, Boston, Massachusetts, Nov. 07-11 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1938 |
- Meeting minutes of the International Council, Larvik, Norway, Aug. 23-27 |
- Meeting minutes of Executive Committee, Jan. 24, March 14 |
- International Goodwill Congress and 23rd annual meeting, American Council, San Francisco, California, Nov. 06-11 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1939 |
- Annual report, 1938-1939 |
- International Goodwill Congress and 24th annual meeting, American Council, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Nov. 10-13 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1940-1941 |
- "Why Increased Armament?" |
- "A Ten-Point Program for Peace" |
- "A Ten-Point Program for Peace and How to Use It" |
- "Religious Proposals for World Order: An Analysis of Thirty-Four Statements" by Liston Pope |
- "To Build a Better World: International Problems for Religious Young People" by Richard M. Fagley |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1942 |
- "The Churches, the War and the Peace" by Henry Atkinson |
- "The Christian Church and World Order" |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work, 1943-1946 (circa) |
- "Win the War...Win the Peace", ca. 1943 |
- "The Study of Peace Aims in the Local Church" by Richard M. Fagley, 1943 |
- "The Challenge: One World or None" by Raymond Fosdick, ca. 1945 |
- "Inside the United Nations: A Discussion Guide on Religion," 1947 |
- Miscellaneous |
Program work material, undated |
- Miscellaneous |
British Council |
- "The Christian Attitude on the War and International Relationships after the War," 1915 |
|
- Fifth annual report of the Executive Committee, Dec. 1921 |
- "Recruiting for Peace: the World Alliance and Youth" by Rev. J.C. Bacon, 1931 |
- "The Peace Witness of the Church," ca. 1935 |
- "Education for Peace in the Sunday School and Bible Class," n.d. |
German Council |
- "An Appeal of the Churches for the International Examination of the Question of War Guilt" by Dr. Walter Simons |
Box 3 |
Handbooks, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1929, 1935, 1938 |
Leaflets for Laymen |
- #1 "Working for a Peaceful World" by Frederick Fagley |
- #2 "Cooperating with Latin America" by Samuel Inman |
World Friendship Lessons [teaching packets] by Elizabeth Bonsall [Swarthmore, Pennsylvania] |
Outlines for study courses |
- "Outlines of the New Internationalism: Four Weeks Study of World Constructive Statesmanship," ca. 1917 |
- "A New Era in Human History: Four Weeks Study in the Outlines of World Constructive Statesmanship," ca. 1917 [includes revised version] |
- "A Governed World Through a League of Nations: An Emergency Three-Week Study Course" by Sidney Gulick, ca. 1919 |
International Peace Pamphlet Series |
- #1 "New Factors in the Problem of American Internationalism" by William Merrill, ca. 1924? |
- #2 "Economics and World Peace" by Samuel Inman |
- #3 "Varieties of Pacifism" by Charles Jefferson |
- #4 "Mobilizing for Peace" by Wiliam Merrill |
- #5 "America's International Experiment" by William I. Hull, 1927 |
- #6 "The Next Step" by Charles Jefferson |
- #7 "The Paris Peace Pact" by Hon. Frank B. Kellogg, 1928 |
- #8 "Fighting Fire With Fire" by Major General John O'Ryan, 1930 |
- #9 "Social and International Conflicts in Latin America" by Samuel Inman, 1933 |
- #10 "Liberty and World Peace" by Hon. Bernard Deutsch, 1935 |
- #11 "The International Crisis -- Religion's Responsibility" by Rev. Joseph Sizoo, 1935 |
- #13 "What is Religion Doing to Stop War?" by Major General John O'Ryan, 1936 |
- #14 "The Churches Can make the Armistice a Permanent Peace" by Rev. G. Ashton Oldham, 1936 |
- #15 "Imperialism, Armaments, War, and Our American Solution" by William I. Hull, 1937? |
- #16 "Keep War Out of the World" by Rev. G. Ashton Oldham, 1938 |
- #17 "The Third Hague Conference: Reasons Why It Should Be Held" by William I. Hull, 1938 |
Manuals for peace makers' committees by Samuel Gulick, ca. 1916-1917 |
Periodicals from this collection are available in the Periodical Collection ["News Letter" (1927-1940; April 1936-Dec. 1940 issues published jointly with the Church Peace Union) and the "World Alliance News Letter" (Jan. 1941-June 1956; all issues published jointly with the Church Peace Union)]. See also the records of the Church Peace Union (CDGA).
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
For more information, contact Wendy Chmielewski, Curator, at wchmiel1@ swarthmore.edu or call 610-328-8557.
For other resources, see the college's online library catalog (Tripod).