Document Group: CDG-B Great Britain [formerly DG 024]

Provenance: received 1946-1947

Size: 2 linear feet and 1 inch

Restrictions: None

Microfilm: Collection is not filmed, except for periodical "Peace" (1938-1941)

Finding Aid: Collection & checklist prepared by Anne Yoder, Archivist, June 2005

This checklist is the property of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.

Historical Introduction
This group originated in 1905 (1904?) as the National Council of Peace Societies, but it was permanently established, as the National Peace Council, after the 17th Universal Peace Conference took place in London in 1908. Carl Heath was appointed General Secretary and was succeeded in 1919 by F.E. Pollard, who served until 1921 when J.H. Hudson assumed the position. Later Secretaries included Rennie Smith (M.P.) and Gerald Bailey. In 1923 [1924?] the group began using the name National Council for Prevention of War, but then resumed its previous name in 1931. The NPC brought together national groups and organizations that held a common interest in peace, disarmament and internationalism, in support of radical and constructive solutions to problems related to war and violence. Its affiliated groups included peace societies, as well as religious, social and industrial organizations. A major task in its early years was organizing the National Peace Congress; it also arranged conferences on specific issues. Many of the pamphlets the NPC produced are speeches given or findings made at such gatherings. The NPC was superceded by the Network for Peace in ca. 2001.

Scope of the Collection
Major newsletters of this group are available in the Periodical Collection (also see below in box 3 for uncatalogued periodicals). A set of its annual "Peace Year-Book" is available in the Book Collection. See the online card catalog (tripod) for other items available. See also the National Council for Prevention of War [U.S.] collection (DG 023) for further material on the NPC. In 2005 it was decided to change the designation for the NPC collection from Document Group status (DG 024) to CDGB status, because the SCPC was never the official repository for this group and and the collection here is incomplete.

Twenty-five boxes of material from the NPC are available at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Contents of the Collection

Box 1
National Peace Council: history; goals/purpose; constitution
National Peace Council: general efforts & literature, 1909-1919
National Peace Council / National Council for Prevention of War: general efforts & literature, 1920-1923
National Council for Prevention of War: general efforts & literature, 1924-1930
National Peace Council / National Council for Prevention of War: general efforts & literature, 1931
National Peace Council: general efforts & literature, 1932-1933

Box 2
National Peace Council: general efforts & literature, 1934-1944

Box 3
National Peace Council: general efforts & literature, 1945-2000, n.d.

Box 4
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "American Opinion" #3-5 (Feb.-April 1948) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "American 'Outlawry' Memo," #4-14 (1928) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "The Disarmament Conference: Special Reports..." (1932-1933) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "International Affairs: Special Reports..." (1934-1938) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "NPC Bulletin" #1-2, 4 (1937) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "NPC Digest" (Jan. 17, 1944) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "NPC Forum" (1944-1945) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "NPC Papers" (1946-1949) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "Opinion" (1943-1944) [incomplete set]
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "Progress Bulletin" (National Petition for A New Peace Conference) #1 (11/23/1938), #3 (01/19/1939)
National Peace Council: periodicals (misc.) -- "Towards Disarmament" #2-10 (1931-1932)

Box 5
National Peace Council: Leaflet Series -- "Disarmament Series" #1-9 [missing #8], ca. 1921-1922
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Disarmament Pamphlets" #1, 3, ca. 1921
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Economic Series" #1, 4-5, ca. 1911-1913
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Education Series" #7-8, ca. 1912
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Political Series" #4, 6, 8, ca. 1911-1912
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Peace Aims Documents" #1-4, ca. 1942-1944
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Peace Aims Pamphlets" #1-61, ca. 1940-1957
National Peace Council: Pamphlet Series -- "Towards World Government" #1-3, 1948-1949
National Peace Council: Leaflet/Pamphlet Series -- "What About Germany" #1-3, June 1945

For more information, contact Wendy Chmielewski, Curator, at wchmiel@swarthmore.edu or call 610-328-8557.

 

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