Los estudios internacionales en América Latina: realizaciones y desafíos

Los ESTUDIOS INTERNACIONALES EN AMÉRICA LATINA the main publicatíons in the field of international affairs have been, which is very convenient. Then in the third place we undertook a more ambitíous project and that was to Write a current history of international affairs. At this prelimirIary meetirIg in Paris, it was decided that the unofficial members of the two delegations, who would be free from official restríctions when they retired shortIy from official life should, together, write a history of the first Peace Conference of París, the 1919 Peace Conference of Paris. And 1 remember the American delegation, a Mr. Marmot, who happened to be a member also of the firm of Streeet1y Morgan and Co. immediately undertook to fmance the publications of this history of the 1919 Peace Conference of París. It was written by members of the American and British delegations, unofficíal, temporary officíal members. It was pubüshed in 6 volumes. And then it was decíded to continue this history, which started with the end of the first World War with a survey of subsequent international affairs. Because after all international affairs did not stop with makirIg peaee in París in 1919. For one thirIg the governments of the world who had easily made war found ít extremely difficult to make peaee, and pe,ce as you know was never satisfactorily made. And if aH the old outstanding questions had been settled many new international questions had cropped up, quarrels between ltaly and France for irIstance, tension between the newly founded Soviet Uníon and a number of othec countries of the world, the frrst signs of revolt irI China agairIst western domirIation. In fact the world went on, human life, life in general, is another name for change, life means ehange, and international affairs, like other sides of life are always changirIg. So it is impossible just to stop after having finished publishing this six volume history of the Peace Conference irI París. So in London, it was decided to continue this by producing an annual survey of international affairs. My wife and I happened to be the people appointed to do this and we did it foc thirty three years from 1924 to 1956. Now the principie that the irIstitute as such had no poliey of course applies to publications just as much as to meetirIgs. And 1 think this is quite an important point for a new institute to considero In the American Council and in the British Institute, anyone who publisheseither an articIe or a monograph or an annual survey under the auspiees of the institute, even if the work is paid foc by the institute,writes and publishes it on his own personal responsibility, without involving the insitute ítself. This is necessary because however much you try to be objective and impartíal in wríting a history of international affairs it is , I think, impossible for any human being to write about any human affairs, andent or modern, without havirIg feelirIgs about them. Feelings of· praise or blame, approval or disapproval, agreement or disagreement, with the other human beirIgs who are the subject of his work. 1 28