DAVIES, Ernest Albert John, 1902-1991, journalist and politician

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0097 DAVIES
Held at	: British Library of Political and Economic Science   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.lse.ac.uk/library ›
Full title	: DAVIES, Ernest Albert John, 1902-1991, journalist and politician
Date(s)	: [1935]-1987
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 10 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Davies | Ernest Albert John | 1902-1991 | journalist and politician

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born 1902; educated Wycliffe College and London University (Diploma in Journalism); Editor, the Clarion, 1929-32; Associate Editor, New Clarion, 1932; contested Peterborough (Labour), 1935; Governor, National Froebel Foundation, 1938-40; worked for the BBC, 1940-1945; served on Fabian Society Executive, 1940; Labour MP for Enfield, 1945-1950, and Enfield East, 1950-1959; Chairman, Transport Group, Parliamentary Labour Party, 1945-1950; Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State, Foreign Office, 1946-1950; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 1950-1951; Member, British delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations, 1947-1950; Deputy Leader, British delegation to the United Nations Conference on Freedom of Information, 1948; Leader, British delegation at the Economic Community for Europe talks in Geneva, 1950; UK Representative, Foreign Ministers' Deputies Four Power Talks in Paris, 1951; Member, Select Committee on Nationalised Industries, 1952-1959; Joint Chairman, Parliamentary Roads Study Group, 1957-1959; Chairman, 1957-1980, and Vice-President, 1980-[1991], British Yugoslav Society; Member, 1958-1965, and Vice-President, 1966-1982, Executive Committee, European Atlantic Group; Managing Editor, Traffic Engineering and Control, 1960-76; Managing Editor, Antique Finder, 1962-72; Vice-Chairman, 1969-1971, President, 1977-1980, Honorary Secretary, 1971-1976 and Member of Council, 1968-1980, British Parking Association; died 1991.
Publications: American Labour: the story of the American trade union movement (George Allen & Unwin; Fabian Society, London, 1943); Britain's Transport Crisis: a socialist's view (Arthur Barker, [London, 1960]); British Transport: a study in industrial organisation and control (Fabian Publications, [London,] 1945); editor of Finance. How money is managed (Odhams Press, London, [1935]); How much Compensation? A problem of transfer from private to public enterprise (Victor Gollancz; New Fabian Research Bureau, London, 1937); "National" Capitalism: the government's record as protector of private monopoly (Victor Gollancz, London, 1939); National Enterprise: the development of the public corporation (Victor Gollancz, London, 1946); Nationalization of Transport (Labour Party, London, [1947]); Problems of Public Ownership (Labour Party, London, [1952]); The State and the Railways (Victor Gollancz; Fabian Society, London, 1940); editor of Traffic Engineering Practice (E. & F. N. Spon, London, 1963); Transport in Greater London (London School of Economics and Political Science: [London,] 1962); editor of Roads and their Traffic (Blackie & Son, London & Glasgow, 1960).

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers relating to the political work of Ernest Albert John Davies, [1935]-1987, notably papers relating to his work at the United Nations, 1947-1950, including texts of speeches by Davies on disabled people and freedom of information, a statement given at the signature of the Convention on Human Rights, and notes and scripts relating to relations with the USSR; material relating to the Four Power Talks, 1951, such as agendas, press releases, minutes of the talks, press cuttings, and Davies' final report; papers relating to Europe, 1950-1974, notably correspondence and memoranda regarding Labour Party policy on European integration created at the Council of Europe in 1950, material concerning a Labour Party pamphlet on European unity, 1950, speeches given by Davies at the Economic Commission for Europe, 1950, reports, minutes and commentary relating to Davies' political tours in Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Austria, Rome, Scandinavia and Switzerland in 1950 and 1951, published and unpublished articles by Davies on the subject of Yugoslavia, memoranda on the political situation in Germany, Yugoslavia, Spain, Albania and Czechoslovakia; papers concerning the Near and Far East, 1950-1951 and 1981, mainly relating to the political situation in Russia, Israel, Malaya, Turkey, Korea and Indo-China, and the question of Chinese representation at the United Nations; notes and drafts of an autobiography by Davies, entitled 'Random recollections of a journalist and politician', [1951-1987]; texts of broadcasts, articles and press cuttings, [1935-1987].

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Arranged in sections as follows: United Nations and general papers, Four Power Talks, papers relating to Europe, Near and Far East, autobiography, and additional material.

Conditions governing access:

Open.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright held by British Library of Political and Economic Science. Most documents may be photocopied.

Finding aids:

Temporary handlist and partial on-line catalogue available.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Given by Ernest Davies in 1990, and his family in 1991.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

The BLPES holds further material relating to Ernest Davies in the papers of the Fabian Society (Ref: Fabian Society/E53/2, G52/6, J20/4, J49/4, 10, J61/3, J622/4), the Independent Labour Party (Ref: ILP/14/1/14), Edmund Dene Morel (Ref: Morel/F10/14, 15), and Emanuel Shinwell, Baron Shinwell (Ref: Shinwell/3/1).

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Sources: British Library of Political and Economic Science catalogue; Who's Who 1897-1996 (A & C Black, 1996); British Library On-Line Public Access Catalogue 97. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Oct 2000