构建太平洋共同体的失败努力:太平洋国际学会的活动与影响(1925—1945)

The Unsuccessful Efforts to Foster the Pacific Community:The Activities of the Institute of Pacific Relations and Their Influence

作为太平洋地区最早出现的国际非政府组织,太平洋国际学会从一个旨在促进亚太地区国家间相互理解和培育太平洋共同体意识的知识团体逐渐演变成以影响政府政策为目标以及服务于美国和盟国战时需要的思想库,并在冷战初期受到美国国会的指控而解散。学会开展的学术研究、圆桌讨论和教育活动虽然有助于消除国家间的误解,对太平洋战争时期的美国政策也具有一定影响,并推动了美国的亚洲研究,但其试图通过培育太平洋共同体意识来改善太平洋地区国家间关系的目标并未实现。个中原因除了学会无法控制的外部国际环境的巨变外,还与其自身的局限性有关,包括各国别理事会的民族主义立场和学会组织者对科学和理性的天真信奉。

As the earliest INGO headquartered in the Pacific region,the Institute of Pacific Relations was in essence an intellectual society in its early time,with an aim to enhance the mutual understanding among the Asian and Pacific nations and foster the concept of Pacific community.With the escalation of the Far Eastern Crisis in the late 1930 s and especially after the outbreak of the Pacific War,the Institute evolved into a think tank serving the wartime needs of the U.S.and the Allied Powers.In the early stage of the Cold War,the Institute lost its influence due to the charges by the US Congress and was eventually dissolved in 1960.The academic researches,roundtable discussions and educational activities sponsored and organized by the Institute made some contributions to reducing the misunderstanding among nations and promoting Asian studies in America,and also exerted some impact upon the US Asian policy.However,the Institute did not achieve the goal to improve the international relation in the Pacific Rim through fostering the Pacific community spirit.The change in the Far Eastern international environment,which went beyond the control of the Institute,was undoubtedly the major cause.Besides,its own shortcomings,such as the strong nationalist position taken by the individual national councils and the naive faith of the Institute’s leaders in the omnipotence of science and reason also contributed to its failure.