THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION.pdf - ideals

projects. One of these should be a survey of all the international
associations in order to continue the Annuaire de la
vie internationale. It transpired that Otlet envisaged a contribution
of £ 10,000 from the League to support the UIA's
publishing program. Nitobe was shocked by the magnitude
of the sum. It was «very much larger than I had in mind,
and if we present it to the Council I don't think we could
get it for you». 38 Otlet and La Fontaine's final point was that
the League should immediately consider installing the central
services of the UIA, its services of documentation, in an international
public building. 39
To all of this, Sir Eric Drummond replied politely:
I am pleased to hear that you are favourably disposed towards co-operation
with the League. I hope you learned from our delegates that
the International iSecretariat will be only too glad to work with any
organisation in the furtherance of the cause of peace and internationalism.
As to the several points raised in the memorandum, I have noted them
carefully and they will receive due consideration. 40
Encouraged by Drummond's cordiality, Otlet and La Fontaine
wrote urging the creation by the League of an International
Documentary Union, so much discussed before the War, and
called upon the League to sponsor a conference of nations
for the purpose. 41 Nitobe, who proved himself a good and
patient friend during these years, answered this letter with
a confidential note. He suggested that Otlet and La Fontaine •
seek the support of the Council of the League not directly
through the International Secretariat, but indirectly through
the Belgian Government. He sounded, too, a note of warning.
The UIA, he said, «will be a great convenience to the League,
but such a recognition of your good offices should not preclude
the League from dealing with the private associations directly
when necessary or desirable.* 42
Nitobe also had a quite practical suggestion for co-operation.
He informed Otlet and La Fontaine that the League
would find a list of international associations useful, and he
proposed that the League reprint with appropriate acknowledgment
the Index to the 1910—11 Annuaire des Associations
Internationales. To this Otlet and La Fontaine agreed, and
the list, edited and revised by them, appeared less than a
month later. 43
Otlet and La Fontaine proceeded at home much as they
had done with the League. Though the immediate post-war
Belgian government was only provisional and general elections
were called for November 1919, they sought immediately
to establish close relations between it and the UIA. They
asked each government department to nominate representatives
to study with representatives of the UIA «the best
means of reciprocal collaboration*. 44 To the Prime Minister,
213