Clarence Streit
Encyclopedia
Clarence Kirschmann Streit (name rhymes with "fight") (January 21, 1896 California, Missouri
- July 6, 1986 Washington, D.C.) was a journalist and Atlanticist who played a prominent role in the Atlantic Movement.
Streit, of Palatine German origin, moved with his family to Missoula, Montana
in 1911. In Missoula, he founded the Konah, a high school paper that is now one of the oldest in the United States to be in continuous publication. While a student at Montana State University (now the University of Montana), he volunteered for military service during World War I
, serving in an Intelligence unit in France and assisting the American delegation at the Conference of Versailles. He was a Rhodes scholar at University of Oxford
in 1920. He married Jeanne Defrance in Paris in 1921, after which he became a foreign correspondent for the New York Times.
In 1929, he was assigned to cover the League of Nations
in Switzerland
, where he witnessed the League's slow disintegration and collapse. That experience, coupled with the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe, convinced him that mankind's best hope was a federal union of democracies, modeled on American federalism. This led him to write Union Now
, a book advocating the political integration of the democracies of Western Europe (including their colonies) and the other English-speaking countries at that time (the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). The book was published in 1938, on the eve of World War II. It had sold over 300,000 copies by 1972.
Soon after the book's publication, Streit founded Federal Union, Inc. (later renamed the Association to Unite the Democracies
) to promote his vision. In 1949, with William Clayton
and Owen Roberts, Streit founded the Atlantic Union Committee, advocating the transformation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) into a political entity.
The Streit Council
, a successor organization to the Association to Unite the Democracies, was named after him.
California, Missouri
California is a city in Moniteau County, Missouri, United States. The 2010 census has the population at 4,278. It is the county seat of Moniteau County. It is the third largest city in the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- July 6, 1986 Washington, D.C.) was a journalist and Atlanticist who played a prominent role in the Atlantic Movement.
Streit, of Palatine German origin, moved with his family to Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
in 1911. In Missoula, he founded the Konah, a high school paper that is now one of the oldest in the United States to be in continuous publication. While a student at Montana State University (now the University of Montana), he volunteered for military service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, serving in an Intelligence unit in France and assisting the American delegation at the Conference of Versailles. He was a Rhodes scholar at University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in 1920. He married Jeanne Defrance in Paris in 1921, after which he became a foreign correspondent for the New York Times.
In 1929, he was assigned to cover the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he witnessed the League's slow disintegration and collapse. That experience, coupled with the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe, convinced him that mankind's best hope was a federal union of democracies, modeled on American federalism. This led him to write Union Now
Union Now
Union Now is journalist and Atlanticist Clarence Streit's proposal for a federal union of the world's major democracies. The first edition of the book was published in 1939. The book is notable for its contribution to the formation of the Atlantic Movement, spearheaded by such groups as Federal...
, a book advocating the political integration of the democracies of Western Europe (including their colonies) and the other English-speaking countries at that time (the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). The book was published in 1938, on the eve of World War II. It had sold over 300,000 copies by 1972.
Soon after the book's publication, Streit founded Federal Union, Inc. (later renamed the Association to Unite the Democracies
Association to Unite the Democracies
The Association to Unite the Democracies, or AUD, is an organization devoted to transforming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from a military alliance into a full political union open to other established democracies as well. AUD was founded by Clarence Streit, New York Times correspondent at...
) to promote his vision. In 1949, with William Clayton
William L. Clayton
William Lockhart "Will" Clayton was an American business leader and government official.-Early life and career:...
and Owen Roberts, Streit founded the Atlantic Union Committee, advocating the transformation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) into a political entity.
The Streit Council
Streit Council
The Streit Council for a Union of Democracies is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit foreign-policy organization working toward closer cooperation and deeper integration among the US and Europe, as well as OECD democracies...
, a successor organization to the Association to Unite the Democracies, was named after him.