About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

166 Annals Am. Acad. Pol. & Soc. Sci. ix (1933)

handle is hein.cow/anamacp0166 and id is 1 raw text is: FOREWORD LAST May there died in the prime of life Albert Thomas, Director of the Permanent Office of the International Labor Organization since its inception. He was more than the Director of the Office. His initiative, his abilities, his persistence and devotion made him pathfinder, leader, and champion for the whole Organization throughout the thirteen years he served it. The Organization was formed when urgent need to stabilize the life of a war- shaken world impelled the nations toward common action. At the moment when the first period of its existence has closed with the death of Thomas and a new period has begun with the inauguration of H. B. Butler as his successor, the nations of the world are again thinking in terms of a common predicament. Their economists, industrialists, financiers, and business men, their politicians and voters, are asking what reconstruction measures can be carried out by countries acting singly and what measures can be made effective only by groups of countries, or perhaps even by all countries, acting in concert. In this connection fresh interest attaches to existing instrumentalities for inter- national deliberation and agreement. The editors of THE ANNALS here present a symposium which they hope will answer the questions which the times are causing people to ask concerning the International Labor Organization, the least known of those now all but inclusive international institutions which were created by the Treaty of Ver- sailles at the close of the World War. The International Labor Organization is at a significant juncture in its internal history, in a year when the world is scrutinizing all the instruments it may possibly make use of in projects of re- construction. This editor has well understood that it was not the purpose of THE ANNALS to laud the Organization and its works, but to analyze and appraise them. If there is small criticism of the Organization in this volume it is not because of any deliberate deviation from that policy or of half-heartedness in its pur- suit. It is because of the seeming impossibility of finding persons to present such a reasoned and substantiated negative criticism as would deserve a place in the present presentation. Those out of sympathy with the Organization have naturally been little drawn to any very full study of its philosophy or to long and close observation of its operations. Their criticisms seem to be based either upon objection to specific acts of the Organization or upon generalized considerations which belong rather to discussion of the critics' own alternative program for reform than to elucidation of the nature and performance of the Organization as it stands. Opposition to the United States' taking part in its activities is usually based either on specific opposition to alliance with a branch of the League of Nations or on general opposition to international in- volvements. For informed and informing papers on the institution as a going concern, it has proved necessary to rely on those who have taken part in its work or studied its activities from sympathetic interest. A general tone of approval and the occasional exhortations, in papers con- tributed by Americans, that the United States join the Organization must be charged to the personal responsibility of the contributors. ALICE S. CHEYNEY.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most