is that still exists, has had a beneficial effect on the lives of countless people. Over the decade following the war, Shot- well organized and edited the Econom- ic and Social History of the World War, which ran to 150 volumes and included input from every country involved in the conflict. Such a comprehensive history of a war had never been attempted. As a representative of the Carnegie En- dowment for International Peace, Shot- well was seen as an "honest broker" and was able "to speak truth to power": Eu- ropean and American leaders knew he could get to the heart of a problem and
James Shotwell: Strathroy’s Forgotten Son by Larry Peters Between January 1873 and December 1875, the Strathroy area saw the births of three men who would make an im- pact on the world. George Orton, born January 10, 1873, would influence the world of sport. James Shotwell, born August 6, 1874, would change the way we understand world politics. And Ar- thur Currie, born December 5, 1875, would influence World War I battlefield tactics. I doubt if there was a more his- torically significant period in Strathroy's past. In the last few years, Orton and Currie have received well deserved recognition. Unfortunately, appreciation of Shotwell has slipped away, despite achievements that have shaped our world. By 1900, Shotwell, who had found high school history classes terribly boring, was one of a group of scholars pioneering the scientific approach to history. They held the novel idea that one's conclusions must be based on unbiased assessment of the facts found through researching original documents. Today the old style of historical writing with its national bias has almost disap- peared thanks to this group. As managing editor of the 11th edition of Encyclopedia Britanni- ca, Shotwell sought out experts in every field so that information came from a solid scientific approach to research. This had never been done before. At the same time, for The Times of London, he created the first background articles that would help readers more fully understand the importance of a news report. If you click on a background site on the internet, think of James Shot- well. And he developed and taught the first American course on Social and Economic History. Think of all the documentaries that have used his approach. In 1917 Shotwell became involved in the American war effort. He convinced the government to use "Uncle Sam" as its symbol in the campaign to unite the nation in its effort to recruit soldiers. Even more important, he convinced each state to keep all the information they accumulated during the war so that a complete history could be written after the conflict ended. He also helped write background papers on the issues that a future Peace Con- ference would need to consider. While at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Shotwell became involved in establishing the International Labour Organization to eliminate the child labour that was common in European countries after the war. The ILO, one of the few organizations created in Par-
find a solution. As the League of Nations was failing, he worked with a number of European diplomats to create the Locarno Treaty that tied the signatory countries into an alliance to avoid war that had real consequences if broken. He then convinced French cab- inet minister, Briand, to offer a similar pact to the United States, thus getting the USA once more involved in European affairs. Shotwell visited all of the new countries created by the Peace Con- ference; he recognized the unacknowledged problems that would eventually lead to war. During the 1930s he visited Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War, and Germany, where he witnessed a Nazi parade and rally. As well, there were trips to Japan, Korea, Manchuria and China, where he met with high-ranking politicians anddiplomats. Those travels gave him a deep understanding of international problems. By this time, he probably knew more about the world's political situation than anyone. Later, in the 1940s, Shotwell wrote a 25-volume history of Canadi- an-American relations. This was the first extensive history of Can - ada that used the scientific research method. The first International Joint Conference that brought Canadians and Americans together to discuss common issues was organized by Shotwell, a Confer- ence that continues and studies an ever-widening list of topics. As the League of Nations failed and the world collapsed into anoth- er war, Shotwell formed a committee that came up with the blueprint that would become the Charter of the United Nations. Shortly after World War II ended, he warned world leaders that nuclear arms would find their way into smaller nations as technology improved. He felt this would be the great problem of future generations. On his final trip to Europe, his advice was sought by European lead - ers who were setting up the Organization for European Economic Co-Operation, which would become the European Economic Com- munity we know today. Even more interesting than this ‘short list’ of James Shotwell’s ac - complishments is the story of how he was able to reach the heights of international diplomacy and scholarship. But that’s another Tale!
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