W artykule zostało uwypuklone znaczenie dokumentacji archiwalnej z poufnych lub tajnych spotkań lub „wymiany zdań” członków Rady LN, podczas których wykuwały się lub były ustalone rozwiązania prezentowane następnie podczas „prywatnych” lub „publicznych” sesji. Zwrócenie uwagi na rolę tej dokumentacji dla poznania polityki poszczególnych państw reprezentowanych w Radzie jest poza dyskusją. Nie wydaje się jednak, aby badacze dziejów LN, a więc i pośrednio stosunków międzynarodowych okresu międzywojennego, przywiązywali wagę do tej spuścizny. Pośrednio świadczą o tym trudności z dotarciem do sporządzanych na bieżąco protokołów, które za lata 1933-1939 nie są ujęte w Archives de la Société des Nations 1919-1946. Répertoire Général 1919-1946, (Genève sd., s. 664). Z dokumentacji tej – bardziej niż z innej – wyziera dominacja interesu własnego, aczkolwiek przyodzianego w „ligowe szaty”. Tajne spotkania członków Rady, mające pierwotnie na celu uzgodnienie stanowiska w kwestiach personalnych, przybrały charakter narady o najważniejszych, zwłaszcza konfliktowych problemach widniejących w programie sesji publicznych. Tym ostatnim nadawano szeroki rozgłos, w przeciwieństwie do narad tajnych, które kłóciły się z filozofią Ligi Narodów, wyrażoną także w preambule do Paktu, gdzie zakładano „utrzymywanie jawnych stosunków międzynarodowych”.

Secret meetings of the members ot the Council League of Nations, as presented in the documents of Archivès de la Sociéte des Nations in Geneva

The article emphasizes how important the archive documents drafted during secret or confidential meetings (or “exchange of opinions” sessions) of the members of the Council League of Nations are. During these sessions, the solutions subsequently presented during “private” or “public” sessions were developed. The role of these documents for understanding the policies of individual states represented in the Council is indisputable. It does not seem, however, that the researchers of the history of the League, and so indirectly the researchers of the international relations of the period 1918-1939, paid enough attention to this heritage. Indirectly, it is evidenced by the difficulties with accessing protocols drafted during these sessions, of which protocols for the years 1933-1939 are not included in the Archives de la Société des Nations 1919-1946. Répertoire Général 1919-1946, (Genève sd. p. 664). These documents – more than any others – prove than individual interests dominated, although they were disguised as the interests of the League. Secret meetings of the members of the Council were initially supposed to coordinate the positions on personal matters. However, they turned into debates about the most pivotal, especially conflictual problems present in the agenda of the public sessions. Those agendas were then highly publicized, as opposed to the agendas of the secret meetings – the fact which contradicted the philosophy of the League, which was also expressed in the Preamble to the Treaty, where sustaining transparent international relations was assumed.

The article emphasizes how important the archive documents drafted during secret or confidential meetings (or “exchange of opinions” sessions) of the members of the Council League of Nations are. During these sessions, the solutions subsequently presented during “private” or “public” sessions were developed. The role of these documents for understanding the policies of individual states represented in the Council is indisputable. It does not seem, however, that the researchers of the history of the League, and so indirectly the researchers of the international relations of the period 1918-1939, paid enough attention to this heritage. Indirectly, it is evidenced by the difficulties with accessing protocols drafted during these sessions, of which protocols for the years 1933-1939 are not included in the Archives de la Société des Nations 1919-1946. Répertoire Général 1919-1946, (Genève sd. p. 664). These documents – more than any others – prove than individual interests dominated, although they were disguised as the interests of the League. Secret meetings of the members of the Council were initially supposed to coordinate the positions on personal matters. However, they turned into debates about the most pivotal, especially conflictual problems present in the agenda of the public sessions. Those agendas were then highly publicized, as opposed to the agendas of the secret meetings – the fact which contradicted the philosophy of the League, which was also expressed in the Preamble to the Treaty, where sustaining transparent international relations was assumed.