Fonds GB 0210 LEANAT - League of Nations Union and United Nations Association Records,

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0210 LEANAT

Title

League of Nations Union and United Nations Association Records,

Date(s)

  • 1922-1959 / (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

3.167 cubic metres (106 boxes and 15 volumes).

Context area

Name of creator

Administrative history

The League of Nations came into being when the Versailles Treaty was ratified on 10 January 1920, although the League of Nations Union had been formed on 13 October 1918 by the amalgamation of two societies which had been working for the establishment of a League of Nations during the concluding years of the First World War. It was not until Whitsuntide 1920 that the first conference took place to consider what Wales might do to further the ideals of the League. That conference was held in Llandrindod Wells on 25 May 1920, and an executive council was appointed to act provisionally until such time as the Welsh National Council could be formed. On 31 January 1922 the Executive Committee decided to launch an intensive campaign throughout Wales, and the first Annual Conference of the Welsh Council met at Easter 1922 at Llandrindod Wells. 'Here it was decided to press for a generous measure of self-government in matters of organisation affecting Wales and Monmouthshire, a demand which was readily granted by the General Council and afterwards endorsed as to detail by the Executive Committee of the League of Nations Union'. (Wales and World Peace. A summary of the Report of The Welsh Council of the League of Nations Union to Whitsuntide, 1923, Cardiff [1923]). In 1945 the League of Nations gave way to the United Nations Association, and the Welsh branch continued its work under the new order. The records show a certain amount of continuity from one organisation to the other, for example, within Executive Committee Minute Book A1/3, which spans the period 4 November 1936 to 29 February 1956.

Archival history

This collection represents the surviving records of the League of Nations Union and the United Nations Association up to 1968, the main body of which were transferred from the Temple of Peace to the National Library of Wales in 1965, with additional deposits being made in 1968 and 1970. It will be seen from the list of surviving files (Secondary records) that a large proportion of the records did not reach the National Library. Some were probably destroyed at a date prior to transfer, perhaps because they were no longer of administrative value, although it is hard not to suspect that survival may not largely have been haphazard. The list of files which is presented below is reproduced from the surviving office list (now appendix) and may be of some value. Only those files whose numbers are marked by an asterix survive. The classification of records follows that given on the files, with the result that similar material occasionally appears under different headings.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Transferred from the Temple of Peace to the National Library of Wales; 1965, 1968 and 1970

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The collection comprises volumes of primary records, 1922-1950, (including executive committee minutes, north Wales committee minutes, finance committee minutes, cash books, ledgers, campaign committee minutes, general purposes committee minutes); the records of the Welsh National Council of the League of Nations Union, 1920-1945; minutes of the committees of the League of Nations Union, 1925-1939; minutes of the sub-committees of the League of Nations Union, 1927-1942. Secondary records of the League of Nations Union: general meetings, 1928-1938; national meetings, 1928-1937; conferences, 1922-1937; committees, 1922-1938; financial records, 1925-1938; educational records, 1922-1946; publications, 1923-1932; publicity, 1929-1947; personal files, 1922-1939; enquiries, 1922-1938; formation of branches, 1923-1938; reports, 1924-1938; London headquarters, 1923-1938; general files, 1922-1951. Branch files, 1922-1940; weekly returns relating to membership etc., 1922-1934; membership, county files etc., 1930-1938; Headway notes, correspondence, press cuttings etc., 1922-1938; League of Nations Union miscellaneous papers, 1923-1939. United Nations Association general files, 1943-1954; United Nations Association committees, 1943-1965; United Nations Association sub-committees, 1947-1952; UNA finance, 1940-1961; UNA membership, 1946-1964; UNA accounts, 1951-1960; UNA 'Files from a series designated letter/number', 1961-1967; UNA branches, 1943-1950; League of Nations Union/UNA meetings, 1944-1964; Temple, 1939-1957; personal files, 1943-1950s; educational themes, 1944-1950; Newsletters, 1961; UNA conferences, 1962-1967; UNA campaigns, 1964-1966; Youth against Humger/Council for Education in World Citizenship Competitions, 1965-1967. Goodwill message: replies to children's wireless message (CWM), 1925-1929; replies to CWM, 1930-1938; CWM related material, 1935-1938; material relating to World Children's Message up to 1939, arranged by countries, 1927-1938; replies to CWM, 1939, arranged by countries; CWM lists of replies, 1928-1939; WCM, copies of replies, correspondence etc., 1938-1959.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Action: All records have been retained..

Accruals

Accruals are not expected.

System of arrangement

The records are arranged in exactly the same order as is listed in 'Scope and content'. The catalogue also has an appendix which provides indexes to general meetings; meetings-denominational; meetings-national; committees; finance; educational; publications; publicity; personal; enquiries; branches forming; reports; London headquarters; general; intelligence; Churches Memorial to America. There is also an index to Branches General.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions noted on the 'Modern papers - data protection' form issued with their Readers' Tickets.

Conditions governing reproduction

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

English.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

Alternative identifier(s)

Virtua system control number

vtls004623886

Access points

Place access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales

Rules and/or conventions used

Description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd ed.; AACR2; and LCSH

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

July 2006.

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Compiled by J. Graham Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used to compile this description: NLW, Schedule of League of Nations Union & United Nations Association Records;

Accession area