The boundary dispute between Chile and Argentina

In November 1920, James Young Simpson, Professor of Natural Science in New College, Edinburgh and Trinity College, Glasgow, was invited by the governments of Latvia and Lithuania to chair a commission which would settle the disputed border between the two newly‐independent states. Upon his return to Edinburgh in May 1921, Simpson deposited the papers and final report on the commission's decision with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, of which he was an active member. This article will explain why and how Simpson came to be involved in diplomatic decisions so remote from his home life and work, and will analyse the significance of the results of Simpson's efforts on the arbitration commission.     

“问题与主义”之争和少年中国学会

胡适、李大钊之间的"问题与主义"之争是一场关于实验主义与社会主义两种思想方法和社 会改造道路的争论,也可说是"少年中国学会"内原有的社会主义与由会外输入的实验主义之间的争论.胡适的实验主义宣传,对学会产生了直接的影响,使学会中原本反对空谈主义,主张从事社会事业和社会活动的会员形成了所谓"问题与主义"派.而围绕着<少年中国>月刊文字方针而展开的"学理与主义"之争,并非人们所说的是"问题与主义"之争的范式转换,而是学会自由研究与预备主义的表现与结果.在导致学会分化的共同主义之争中,胡适及学会内的"问题与主义"派也发挥了一定的作用.     

Britain and the Indo-Pakistani Conflict: The Rann of Kutch and Kashmir, 1965

Britain mediated successfully in the Indo-Pakistani clash over the Rann of Kutch region in spring 1965, but when hostilities broke out over Kashmir soon afterwards, 10 Downing Street managed to alienate New Delhi with what was supposed to be an even-handed statement. The Indian government seemed to feel that the Labour government had violated some kind of historic special obligation to them, and the Anglo-Indian relationship was damaged. For his part Prime Minister Harold Wilson condemned the ‘pro-Pakistani faction’ in the Commonwealth Relations Office responsible for drafting the statement, although he had been warned of the likely consequences. Eventually, the Soviet Union, operating through the United Nations, mediated an end to the war. The article draws upon British government documents to fill a gap in the literature, and it ends with a few reflections on Britain's ‘decline’ as demonstrated by the failure to end the conflict over Kashmir in 1965.     

Sir Granville Beynon and EISCAT

Sir Granville Beynon worked increasingly to enable the European Incoherent Scatter Observatory, EISCAT, to be established in Northern Scandinavia. Here, some specific recollections are brought to mind before they are forgotten.     

Sir Granville Beynon and URSI

Sir Granville Beynon has contributed much to the activities of URSI. Some memorable moments are recalled here.     

班克斯爵士与中国

班克斯爵士(Sir Joseph Banks,1743-1820)何许人也?熟悉英国近代科学史的人一定知道,从1778年开始到辞世四十多个寒暑间,他一直出任英国最高学术机构皇家学会(Royal Society)的主席,此时段也标志着从18世纪的"品鉴赏玩"之风到19世纪"格物致知"的科学态度的过渡.     

Sir Edward Grey and Austria-Hungary

ABSTRACT

Although in terms of their bilateral relations the ‘traditional friendship’ between Great Britain and Austria-Hungary was no mere phrase, in general political terms British policy in the last decade before the War was characterised by Grey's determination to cultivate the ententes with France and Russia and to do nothing to upset that division of Europe into two balancing groups (with Austria-Hungary firmly in the German camp) which he saw as the best guarantee of peace. Even though the Austrians gradually recovered from the shock of the Bosnian Crisis, in which Grey had come forward against them as Russia's chief supporter, and though the British for their part came to see in Austria-Hungary a useful element of stability in the Near East, Grey's attempts to uphold the unity of the Concert in the Balkan Wars were in the end vitiated by his overriding concern to avoid offending his Entente partners. Indeed, as the crisis deepened in the last year of peace, he took refuge in an increasingly abstentionist attitude, the objective effect of which - and herein, it is here argued, lies Grey's responsibility - was to intensify Vienna's desperation and loss of faith in the Concert that soon proved fatal to peace.