The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs

The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs is a policy matters journal relating to the Commonwealth of Nations.

History

The journal was established in 1910 as the journal of the Round Table movement, established the previous year to promote closer union between the United Kingdom and its self-governing colonies. It was initially subtitled, A Quarterly Review of the Politics of the British Empire. Its writers promoted Imperial Federation, a proposal to create a federated union in place of the existing British Empire.

It was founded by Lord Milner, former High Commissioner of South Africa, and three others, who were associated with Milner through their work in the South African Civil Service:

• Lionel Curtis
• Philip Kerr - Liberal politician and, later, British Ambassador to Washington
• Geoffrey Dawson - Times journalist

All were members of 'Milner's Kindergarten', an informal reference to a group of young civil servants under Milner.

Post-World War II, its subtitle was altered to A Quarterly Review of British Commonwealth Affairs to reflect the changing nature of the Commonwealth. Its current title dates from 1983.

List of editors

• 1910–1917: Philip Kerr, later British Ambassador to the United States
• 1917–1919: Reginald Coupland, Beit Professor of History at Oxford
• 1919–1921: Lionel Curtis, RIIA founding secretary
• 1921–1934: John Dove
• 1934–1939: Henry Vincent Hodson, later editor of the Sunday Times
• 1939–1941: Reginald Coupland
• ......
...

Read More