in general from the outside to prisoners of war (for instance, by their families and relatives); all such gifts it was proposed should be forwarded to the International Committee of Geneva, who would ask the neutral governments to deliver them to the prisoners of war. Each national society ought to have such a special committee organized for this purpose; the expenses would be covered by the respective societies of the Red Cross.

This matter was deemed by the conference of such importance, that a special "rider" was attached to the French resolution, requesting the American Red Cross to extract it immediately from the protocols of the conference and send it to all the central committees in order to draw their attention to the case. It was further decided that the question ought to be definitely settled, according to the wishes of the different societies of the Red Cross, not later than June first, 1913.

One can hardly foresee that the governments will make difficulties in this matter, considering its humanitarian object. Thus, one may expect that next year some solution of it will be successfully worked out, and in case of a future war, the Red Cross will be, in consequence, able to give its aid to the respective prisoners of war. If one calls to mind the example of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, one can easily see how much could be done by the Red Cross in establishing such communications between the prisoners held in captivity in a far away land and their families and relatives, who often do not even know the fate of their wounded.

This may be thus looked upon as the great humanitarian achievement of the Ninth Conference.

The Italian delegates proposed, and the conference unanimously agreed to, a resolution asking the societies of the Red Cross to aid in the publication and distribution of the International Bulletin of the Red Cross, edited and published by the International Committee of Geneva. This bulletin is rightly considered as the best possible means for the different societies of the Red Cross of the world to keep in touch and to know what is being done for the Red Cross and by the Red Cross.

Further, the conference adopted, according to the Russian proposal, new statutes regulating the administration of the international fund called "Empress Marie Feodorovna." The income from this fund is

distributed every five years in prizes for the best inventions concerning the medical aid or the nursing of wounded and suffering soldiers. The next distribution will take place in 1917 at the Tenth International Conference. The new statutes intrust the Russian Central Committee with the administration of the fund, the investments, etc. The distribution of prizes is intrusted to a special international jury, which meets at every international conference of the Red Cross and is composed of eight members, one always being a Russian delegate, a second one being a member of the International Committee of Geneva, the other six belonging to different countries, selected by lot every five years.

The Ninth Conference had further to settle the question of the administration of a similar fund called "Empress Augusta." It was decided that the prizes of this fund shall in the future also be distributed only once in every five years by the international conferences.

Finally, the conference decided to award a special medal in memory of Miss Florence Nightingale, the famous nurse of the Crimean War. This medal, with a corresponding certificate, is to be given annually to six nurses, who have done the best work in helping the sick and wounded in times of peace or war. The medals are to be given from the income of a fund, called the "Fund of Florence Nightingale." These prizes will be distributed by the International Committee of Geneva, the names of the candidates for the medals being submitted to the International Committee by the national societies of the Red Cross. Each national society will have the right to submit the name of only one nurse. The working out of details for this plan is intrusted to a special committee, which will have to report in the near future to the International Committee. Sir John Furley, the eminent representative of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, was elected president of this special committee.

We see thus that the resolutions adopted by the Ninth Conference can be classified into four groups, the first concerning the material used by the Red Cross; the second dealing with the aid of soldiers and prisoners of war; the third group of resolutions concerning the question of protection of the Red Cross, and, finally, the fourth dealing with the different funds now intrusted to and administered by the Red Cross. Another group of resolutions, discussed by the conference but not voted on nor agreed to, constitute those which the conference found it

necessary previous to their final settlement to submit to the consideration of the international and central committees. They were not deemed quite ripe yet for immediate adoption.

These were:

1. The Cuban proposition of adopting an international insignia for the members of the societies of the Red Cross, superseding the now existing national insignia; many members of the conference considered the latter and the usual Red Cross mark quite sufficient; they also foresaw great difficulties in the way of the adoption of a new international insignia.

2. The French proposal of introducing Esperanto as the official language of the Red Cross, which should be taught compulsorily to all the Red Cross personnel.

3. The second French proposal of recognizing officially the trained dogs used by the Red Cross in the relief work of the wounded on the battlefield. This question was rightly considered as belonging to the competence of the governments who alone, according to the Geneva Red Cross Convention, have the right to decide on such matters.

4. The Brazilian proposal of erecting a monument to commemorate the Red Cross, and the Argentine proposal of establishing a Red Cross day to be kept as an international holiday.

5. The Russian project of having special cards of identification for the wounded removed from the battlefields in order that the surgeons in the hospitals at the rear could know at first glance if a man has to be operated on or if transportation is dangerous for him. The French army has already established a sort of card of identification (fiches diagnostiques) which, according to the testimony of the French delegates, has proved to be very useful.

6. The Chinese resolution, concerning the work of the Red Cross in countries where the principle of extraterritoriality is applied to foreign subjects, was considered by the conference of too great importance from the point of view of international law to be adopted without a special investigation. The Chinese delegates wanted the conference to express a wish according to which the foreign societies of the Red Cross, which may be established in countries where foreigners live under the protection of extraterritorial rights, would be always subordinated to the local

national society of the Red Cross. One may easily see how important such a matter could become in China.

The conference registered with satisfaction the accession of two new national societies of the Red Cross in the East, those of China and Siam, each of which, according to their reports, have already accomplished a great deal of good work. The conference also expressed a sincere wish to see at the next conference a representative of a new society of the Red Cross of Persia, which country up to the present time has not taken part in the Red Cross work.

Finally, the conference forwarded to all the committees of the Red Cross the invitation, proffered by Mr. Richardson, to take part in the San Francisco-Panama Exposition of 1915; the conference expressed the hope that the Red Cross will take an active part in it and will provide for a section of its own at the exposition.

The conference disposed in a similar way of the invitations for the next (Tenth) International Conference, profferred by the Portuguese Red Cross, the Brazilian Red Cross and the Japanese Red Cross. It must be added that the Japanese Red Cross had already extended such an invitation, at the conference of London of 1907, but preference was then given to the American invitation, in consequence of which the Ninth Conference was held in Washington. These three invitations were sent to the International Committee, which will have to decide by 1914 and take into consideration the wishes of the different societies of the Red Cross as to where the next conference will meet.

PROF. BARON S. A. KORFF,
University of Finland.

THE INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE

This conference, -the latest of the Hague Conferences to which the United States was a party, was proposed by the United States on September 1, 1909, and convoked by the Netherlands Government on December 1, 1911. It dealt in a judicial manner with the varied and conflicting interests, diplomatic, moral, humanitarian and economic, of those governments represented and with the known similar interests of those not represented. Several of the governments in making pledges for the obliteration of the opium evil did so in the face of an eventual large financial sacrifice, but this was done thoughtfully and generously.

The conference determined upon and on January 23rd last signed a convention for the suppression of the obnoxious features of their national and of the international opium, morphine and cocaine traffics, and for the regulation of that part of the production of and trade in the drugs which may be said to be legitimate. To China was confirmed much that she had contended for for a hundred years or more as to the vexatious export of Indian opium to her shores. This act, however, was but a broader recognition of what the British Government had, as between India and China, already yielded to China by virtue of the so-called Ten Year Agreement of 1907,1 and by the modification of that agreement signed at Peking on the 8th of May, 1911.2

To the United States is due the credit of having initiated an international and national movement of such wide scope, involving diplomatic and economic interests and difficulties that scarcely anyone foresaw. For in the autumn of 1906 the American Government, after repeated urging, and as the result of a pressure not easy to define, boldly ventured on a solution of the opium problem as seen in the Far East, a venture which has been extended by the coöperation of twelve other Powers to a solution of the problem as it affects the world generally.

President Roosevelt and Secretary of State John Hay had held favor

1 Vide, this JOURNAL, October, 1909, p. 835.

2 Vide, infra, p. 878.