File J2/8. - League of Nations Union,

The League of Nations came into being when the Versailles Treaty was ratified on 10 January 1920, although the League of Nations Union had been formed on 13 October 1918 by the amalgamation of two societies which had been working for the establishment of a League of Nations during the concluding years of the First World War. It was not until Whitsuntide 1920 that the first conference took place to consider what Wales might do to further the ideals of the League. That conference was held in Llandrindod Wells on 25 May 1920, and an executive council was appointed to act provisionally until such time as the Welsh National Council could be formed. On 31 January 1922 the Executive Committee decided to launch an intensive campaign throughout Wales, and the first Annual Conference of the Welsh Council met at Easter 1922 at Llandrindod Wells. 'Here it was decided to press for a generous measure of self-government in matters of organisation affecting Wales and Monmouthshire, a demand which was readily granted by the General Council and afterwards endorsed as to detail by the Executive Committee of the League of Nations Union'. (Wales and World Peace. A summary of the Report of The Welsh Council of the League of Nations Union to Whitsuntide, 1923, Cardiff [1923]). In 1945 the League of Nations gave way to the United Nations Association, and the Welsh branch continued its work under the new order. The records show a certain amount of continuity from one organisation to the other, for example, within Executive Committee Minute Book A1/3, which spans the period 4 November 1936 to 29 February 1956.