At the same time the by-laws of the asso ciation were drawn up, and provision was made, inter-alia, for the establishment of an executive committee (consisting of the president, the sec retary and five trustees), which at its first meet ing, held likewise on 9 March 1911, decided to divide the work of the Endowment into three divisions: (1) The Division of Intercourse and Education, to promote the objects specified in sections (c), (e), (g); (2) the Division of Economics and History, to promote a scientific investigation and study of the causes of war and of the practical means to prevent and avoid it, as specified in section (a); (3) the Division of International Law, to promote the objects specified in sections (b), (d), (f). These three divisions may be described as popular, scientific and juristic, departments in which the work of the Endowment naturally falls. Thus the main activities of the Endowment were established on definite lines, and a world-wide co-operation in each branch of its work was planned. It was decided to inaugurate a series of conferences with foreign publicists, economists and states men, to be held in European cities, and a large number of eminent and influential men of all nationalities were invited to take a more or less active part in the propaganda.
While the outbreak of the European War in the summer of 1914 seriously interfered with the carrying-out of the program, that catas trophe only emphasized the incalculable im portance and need of the work to which the Endowment is dedicated. War itself, indeed, is throwing on the main problem, that of preventing war, and is bringing the solution of the problem nearer. On 20 April 1917, the trustees of the Endowment unanimously adopted a formal resolution, declaring their *belief that the most effectual means of promoting durable international peace is to prosecute the war against the Imperial German government to final victory for democracy, in accordance with the policy declared by the President of the United States.' On the same day, more over, a sum of $500,000 was appropriated, by formal resolution, the reconstruction of devasted homes of Belgium, France, Serbia or Russia?' The main office of the Endowment is located in Washington, D. C., while a branch office is located in New York, where the direct ors of the divisions of intercourse and educa tion and of economics and history have their desks; the director of the division of interna tional law, who is also secretary of the En dowment, has his office at the Washington headquarters.