A Plan for Peace

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1950. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Quarter beige cloth with blue spine lettering and blue paper over boards, dust jacket. x, 83pp. Near fine/fine. Superb, tight first edition of this (to cite jacket front panel) "bold, thoughtful book by an outstanding citizen offering real hope for the future" published on the eve of the Korean War. Best of all, this special copy bears a fine presentation inscription from the author "To / Honorable Adlai E. / Stevenson / with the compliments / and best wishes of the / author. / Grenville Clark / Dublin, N.H. / May, 1952." Clark (1882-1967) was a high-level Wall Street attorney known for his (truncated) work in international law and world peace initiatives who helped draft the United Nations charter; Stevenson (1900-65) was governor of Illinois and the Democratic presidential candidate. In 1945 Stevenson worked for U.S. Secretary of State Edward Stettinius along with Assistant Secretary of State Archibald MacLeish on an ambitious world peace organization -- an effort to create a successor to the failed League of Nations. He was then appointed Deputy United States Delegate to the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Organization, later becoming head of the delegation. In this role he was instrumental in the creation of the United Nations and perhaps in this capacity Stevenson and Clark came to know each other. (Inventory #: 51055)