Interna Tional Institute of Intellectual Co-Operation

INTELLECTUAL CO-OPERATION, INTERNA TIONAL INSTITUTE OF. In Sept. 1921 the League of Na tions, on the proposal of M. Leon Bourgeois, added to its existing technical committees an International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, made up of distinguished scholars chosen first from 12, afterwards from 14 different countries. Its membership in cluded, among others, Mme. Curie, Prof. Einstein, Prof. Gilbert Murray, M. Jules Destree and Dr. Millikan. M. Henri Bergson was elected its first chairman. Prof. Gilbert Murray became president in July 1928.

The task assigned the committee was that of studying the better organization, through united international effort, of literary, artis tic and scientific work. The committee soon became convinced that if it were fully to accomplish its task it must have a perma nent administrative organ to prepare its programme and carry out its plans. In 1924 the French Government offered to defray for the League the expenses of such an organ, asking only in return that Paris be its seat. The League accepted the offer; and in Nov. 1925 the International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation opened its offices in Paris, at the Palais Royal.

The Institute is divided into specialized sections which are as follows: University Relations.—This section organizes annual meet ings of the directors of national university offices and of repre sentatives of international students' organizations. It acts as an international university information office and as a link between institutions of higher education in all parts of the world. It organ izes vacation courses and other facilities for foreign students; provides for equivalence of degrees, exchange of university pro fessors, national institutes abroad and institutes of foreign studies, and international co-ordination of courses in political science and international affairs.

Two Sections for Scientific Relations.

A. Science; B. Humanities. These sections deal with specific problems of inter national scientific organization, such as the co-ordination of libra ries, scientific bibliographies, reference books of scientific person alities, etc. Steps are being taken to organize an international special service for libraries attached to the institute. It keeps in touch with the important scientific institutions and learned bodies, and aids them to co-ordinate their efforts. It follows closely the activities of international scientific congresses, and publishes their resolutions and other relevant information about their meetings.

Legal.

This service is chiefly engaged on problems concerning intellectual rights (copyright and scientific property) and, more over, the legal status of international associations not formed for profit, and in liaison with the International Labour Office the eco nomic position of intellectual workers is being examined.

Literary Relations.

This section is specially interested in the question of translation and of authors' rights, and is actively engaged in preparations for establishing an international office of translation.

Artistic Relations.

This section studies the organization, from an international point of view, of the different aspects of artistic activity. It has established an International Museums' Office which organized the successive exhibitions of engravings from national chalcographies, which was held in different Euro pean capitals in 1927, and prepared the first International Con gress of Popular Arts held in 1928, in Prague.

Information Section.

This section deals with problems con cerning the circulation of books, gives communications to the press and to the public, collects intellectual statistics, publishes an annual list of notable books (since 1924) and, from Jan. 1929, a review L' Information Intellectuelle.

Year-Books.

A plan has been drawn up to edit a series of specialized year-books, beginning with an international Who's Who.

The Institute has extended hospitality in the Palais Royal to various important international associations which are working in close co-operation in the same field of activity, and has offered its reception-rooms and assistance to several large international con gresses.

This organ of the League of Nations is strictly international in character. Its officials belong to about 20 different nations : the director is French, the deputy-director English, the head of the section for University Relations German, that of the Scientific Relations section Dutch, that of the Legal section French, that of the Literary Relations section Swiss and of the Artistic Relations Belgian, while an Italian is head of the Information section.

The Institute does not take the initiative, but attempts to en courage, co-ordinate and assist the countless but diffuse intel lectual efforts in each country and to improve the conditions of intellectual work. It aspires to be the rallying-point for intellec tuals all over the world who can meet and discuss problems of common interest. (J. L.)