Archive of the Month – 100 years ago

Paris, London, Brussels (1919), Milan (1920), Geneva (1921), Prague (1922), Vienna (1923), Lyon (1924), Warsaw (1925)… ABERYSTWYTH (1926)… Berlin (1927), The Hague (1928), Prague (1928), Madrid (1929), Brussels (1934), Geneva (1936)…

Between June 29th and July 3rd 1926, the West Wales University town of Aberystwyth briefly became the ‘centre of the diplomatic world’, as it hosted a gathering equivalent to today’s United Nations General Assembly: the 10th Plenary Congress of the International Federation of League of Nations Societies (IFLNS). West Wales welcomed international delegates from 40 nations worldwide, from the US and Japan to German and Italian deputations, all working towards one common goal: no less than World Peace in the aftermath of World War. 

The IFLNS was established in 1920 as the civil society support body (often referred to as the ‘third arm’) of the League of Nations in Geneva, and was the “leading international nongovernmental organization for the promotion of peace between the world wars” (Thomas Davies, 2012). Headquartered initially in Brussels 1920-34, then Geneva, Switzerland 1934-46, it was succeeded after World War 2 by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) – a transition mirrored in Cymru by the Welsh League of Nations Union (WLNU) ‘morphing’ into UNA Wales. The Archives of the International Fed / IFLNS are held in Brynmawr College, US, and at the UN Archives, Geneva, alongside those of the intergovernmental bodies themselves among the League of Nations Archives .

The 1926 IFLNS Congress had originally been scheduled to be hosted by Dresden, following Germany’s admission to the League after signing of the 1925 Locarno Treaties. However, post-WW1 opposition to German reintegration into the apparatus of international diplomacy led to withdrawal of Dresden’s candidature to host the prestigious Congress.

Why Aberystwyth?

With just 3 months to go, Welsh peacebuilder and philanthropist David Davies used his considerable influence (and financial support) to enable that year’s critical congress to go ahead, by ‘offering Wales’ as an alternative host nation. He was the ‘Controller’ (effectively Chair, from 1925 to 1929) of the International Federation, as well as having founded the Welsh League of Nations Union from 1922; and he was also a Director of the Great Western Railway, through whom he organised transportation for the hundreds of delegates, with a special train laid on from London Paddington.

David Davies: The Peacemonger – J Graham Jones, Liberal History 2001

Above: (LH) – Major David Davies pictured 1922 with son Michael at home of Plas Dinam, Montgomery; (middle) – WLNU Special ‘Peace Train’ arriving at Aberystwyth; (RH) Annie Hughes Griffiths and colleagues presenting Welsh Women’s Peace Petition at the White House in Feb 1924 (WLNU press clippings, Temple of Peace Archives)

The WLNU’s President for 1925-6, Annie Hughes Griffiths, had recently returned from leading the 1924 Welsh Women’s Peace Appeal to America, which had catapulted the women of Wales into the spotlight of the world stage for peacebuilding and diplomacy. Annie’s brother John Humphreys Davies was Principal of Aberystwyth University from 1919-26, and with the end of academic term he had it in his gift (with the support of the university’s board) to make the whole institution available. The opportunity to host one of the world’s most prestigious and high profile events was undoubtedly a coup – and one which this small coastal town of less than 10,000 population embraced with open arms, with reportedly hundreds turning out to welcome their global visitors waving flags of the world.

Within less than 12 weeks, the entire world congress was relocated to West Wales, and a programme devised.

Welsh League of Nations Union (WLNU) President Annie Hughes Griffiths accompanies German delegate (and former US Ambassador) Count Bernstorff from Aberystwyth Railway Station – from WLNU / Temple of Peace Press Cuttings.

Who Came – and What did they Do in Aber?

The Itinerary and Delegates list (click link or image below to view digitised booklet on People’s Collection Wales) details the day-to day schedule for the week, as well as the list of official attendees.

Friday 25 June – Monday 28 June: initial meetings in London at the headquarters of the UK League of Nations Union, 15 Grosvenor Square
Tuesday 29 June – special train departs London Paddington 8.50am, with a full luncheon service en route, arriving at Aberystwyth 2.50pm where delegates were guided to their hotels.
At 4pm the inital congress plenary began at University Hall, with a Mayor’s Reception folllowed by dinner.
Wednesday 30 June – Following a full day of Congress Plenary, an excursion was laid on by the Town Council and Welsh League of Nations Union (WLNU) by charabanc or train to Tregaron, where an address was given by Rev Gwilyn Davies (WLNU Director) at the statue of Henry Richard on the ‘Apostle of Peace’ (based on this booklet from 1924).
Thursday 1 July – Following a morning of Congress Plenary, from 2pm an excursion offered visitors a ride on the Rheidol narrow gauge railway up to the celebrated beauty spot of Devils’ Bridge (a journey that can still be enjoyed by steam today).
At 8pm a public meeting was hosted in University Hall enabling Welsh people and peace campaigners to meet with League visitors from around the world.
Friday 2 July – full day of Congress with an ‘official luncheon’; meeting of the WLNU Welsh National Council (digitised record here); culminating at 8.30pm with a Principal’s Reception in the University College on the seafront.
Saturday 3 July – WLNU learning seminar on the ‘Work of branches across Wales’, followed by closing plenary of the Congress by 11.15am
12.00 – Special train departs Aberystwyth, with lunceon and tea service en route before reaching Paddington at 6pm for onwards connections to continental boat trains.

The attendees list includes details of delegates representing:

Germany
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
China
Spain
United States
France
Great Britain
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Ireland
Japan
Latvia
Netherlands
Palestine
Poland
Romania
Russia
Sweden
Switzerland
Czechosovakia
League of Nations Secretariat
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
IFNLS Federation staff

Impact of the Congress

Count Bernstorff, who led the German delegation as a member of the Weimar Reichstag and League of Nations Ambassador, wrote many years later in his memoirs specifically of his fond memories of Aberystwyth and the deep impression made on him by Wales, the Welsh people and their peace building campaigns:

”

Rediscovering the Hidden History

The story of ‘how’ peaceful West Wales came to welcome such a world congress, was originally pieced together in 2016 by Aberystwyth University Librarian and Author Elgan Phillips, for an exhibition (in partnership with WCIA’s WW1 Centenary‘Wales for Peace’ programme) staged in the Hugh Owen Library to mark the 90th Anniversary of the Peace Congress ‘coming to town’.

Aberystwyth Special Collections Blog, 2016
BBC feature on 90th Anniversary Congress Exhibition

The exhibition used a number of artefacts from WCIA’s Collections at the Temple of Peace, which remain on view in the Temple’s Council Chamber, and can be explored digitally via the links from this feature.

View short interview with Elgan Philips at

Read Aberystwyth University’s feature article from 2016 marking the 90th anniversary, and explore the WLNU materials since digitised, to discover more about when the interwar world came to Wales.

View People’s Collection Wales digitised items relating to the Peace Congress