problems that arise more and more in international relations. These problems deal with all the features of public and private life; their complexity is such that to apprehend all these difficulties, to discern all their elements, and reach a proper settlement, various forces are necessary: minds technically trained according to the nature of the juridical, administrative, political or judicial aspect of the question; and men of general training, because there are essential principles that must govern at any international settlement whatever its special object, a thing that has not always been taken into account. Not all expedients can be resorted to in order to bring about an international regulation, in spite of the usefulness that such regulation seems at first to promise.

For all these reasons, we are deeply thankful to the eminent men, diplomats, statesmen, jurists, judges, administrators and publicists who are willing to heed our appeal and to assure us of the assistance of their knowledge and experience. We have also the help of younger men full of enthusiasm, who are willing to search the still unexplored or little explored nooks of the science. We have made sure that we shall be in the very best condition for taking up the work to which we have invited you.

It is for this reason that Mr. Legrand, who had planned to organize a French society for the study of international commercial law, was kind enough to give up this idea as soon as he learned that our Society meant to give a large place in its labors to commercial and maritime questions for the study of which the specialists whom we count among the Society's charter members and who are its most distinguished members will make excellent collaborators.

We are organizing a French society of international law: this necessitates two explanations.

In the first place, we do not in any way wish to compete with the Institute of International Law; on the contrary, we wish to become connected with it. The organization of our Society is foreseen by the statutes of the Institute, according to which "the members, in conjunction with the associates in each State may constitute committees composed of persons pursuing the study of social and political sciences, in order to second the efforts of the Institute among their compatriots" (Article 8). In fact, almost all the French members and associates of the Institute have joined our Society.

We mean to organize a French society of international law, not a society of French international law. The interests of the Society concern French interests primarily, but we do not pretend that France has an international law of its own.

There are nevertheless many problems pertaining to international relations that must be settled in an independent way, in regard to which the general principles of international law, as well as the special concepts and interests of each country, must be taken into account. The study of such problems falls particularly within the field of the labors of a Society like ours. Let me merely call your attention to the status of foreigners in our country, especially with regard to the power to expel or exclude them; the acquisition and loss of citizenship, the application of foreign laws, the jurisdiction of the courts with regard to foreigners, the authority and execution of foreign judgments, procedure pertaining to prizes, extradition procedure. Much is to be done within this sphere, many gaps in our legislation must be filled, for our codes date from a time when our relations with foreigners were not considered in the light in which they deserve to be considered.

Even in purely international questions, we may try to have rules accepted that seem to us both just and in conformity with our interests. Some of these questions have been left open after lengthy discussion, and if thought necessary they may be submitted for settlement to a permanent or a special international jurisdiction; each country is entitled to prepare such decisions as it may deem the best. There are also questions in which the true

interest of the country must be established; this is not always an easy matter, for it is necessary to find out what modifications in the usual practice might be admitted by way of conciliation, because routine is not infrequently a bad adviser and rouses an unjustified opposition to measures that would be of general interest. The collaboration of compatriots hailing from different professions may be of assistance in removing prejudice and bias.

I would like to call your attention to what we may expect from the aid of so many thoroughly trained and willing men. Ever since 1791, when a resolution was moved to that effect in the constituent assembly, France has been waiting for a law concerning extradition; attempts to that end were made in 1878 and in 1900, but were of no avail. Let us confine ourselves to procedure, and shun all controversial questions which have lost something of their importance if we admit that justly or unjustly extradition conventions must always be approved by Parliament. A legal settlement of this matter is indispensable both for individuals and for the Government; we can not indefinitely follow out this matter with official circulars, even when they are signed by a Dufaure and countersigned by a Ribot. Let us provide our legislators with precise and complete rules that take into account the complex interests involved in the question, and we may then have a chance to get them considered. To draft a project that forces itself upon our action, we possess in our Society all the elements for an ideal committee composed of all men trained in necessary diplomatic, judicial, juridical and administrative capacities.

International law in its widest sense must be the object of our studies. According to tradition, it has been divided into two branches, each of which we have assigned to a section. We are aware of the fact that it is difficult to classify certain subjects, but this does not cause much inconvenience. Our sections are not separated from each other by impenetrable partitions; members may register in both; the work prepared by one section may be brought to discussion before the General Assembly.

In conclusion, I wish in our name to thank the Director of the School of Political Sciences for his gracious hospitality to us. Our Society meets in an atmosphere which befits it in every way and can only contribute to the success of its labors.

Société de Législation Comparée

At its meeting of December 20, 1913, the Executive Committee approved a recommendation for a subvention to the Société de Législation Comparée, by adoption of a resolution allotting fr. 7,500 from the appropriation for the Division of International Law, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914, as a subvention to the society mentioned, for the period July 1, 1913, to June 30, 1914.

This society, which is now in its forty-fourth year, was recognized by the French decree of December 4, 1873, as an institution of public usefulness. Its objects are the study of the laws of the different countries and the search for practical means of improving legislation in its many branches. With very limited resources, it has been able to do the considerable work to which general praise is given owing to the admirable zeal and disinterestedness of its collaborators. It has a membership of about 1,200 persons and libraries or other institutions, about half of these residing or situate in French territory. The annual fee for members of the society is twenty francs; the entrance fee being ten francs. Besides the regular members referred to, the society has a list of about thirty-five corresponding members in foreign countries, most European countries

being represented, as well as Chile, China, Argentine Republic, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Canada, and the United States.

The Council, which controls the business of the society, is composed of a president elected for two years; four vice-presidents and sixteen or more councilors, elected for four years; and a secretary general, four secretaries and a treasurer, appointed annually by the Council. One-fourth of the vice-presidents and councilors are elected every year, and no members of the Council, except the secretary general, the secretaries, and the treasurer, are eligible to immediate reëlection.

On the Council for the year 1913 were Mr. Auguste Arnauné as president, Messrs. Joseph Drioux, Léon Lallemand, A. Le Poittevin and Henri Fromageot as vice-presidents and Mr. Fernand Daguin, the secretary general since 1881. The President of France is the honorary president of the Council. Among former presidents and vice-presidents are noticed the names of many prominent Frenchmen, members of the Institute of France, and the Institute of International Law, professors and eminent lawyers.

The society holds both general meetings and section meetings. There are four sections, one each for the French and English languages, another for the languages of the North, and a fourth for the languages of the South. The general sessions take place four times a year on dates fixed by the Executive Council. Each of the sections meets likewise four times a year, the dates being so arranged as to preclude conflict.

The proceedings of the meetings are printed in the monthly bulletin of the society. The bulletin (that for 1913 consisted of 516 pages) contains also interesting studies on topics in comparative legislation, as well as notices of current legislation in France and abroad, and numerous signed book reviews. The society also publishes an annual of French legislation and one of foreign legislation wherein are gathered the texts of the laws of greatest interest to students of comparative legislation, to which are added notices by competent reviewers. These several publications of the society are gratis to its members.

Other publications of the society are:

Catalog of its library.

Recueil des procès-verbaux de la Commission chargée d'étudier les réformes à introduire dans la loi de 1838 sur les aliénés, preceded by a study by Mr. Ernest Bertrand.

Rapport de la Commission chargée d'étudier les diverses législations sur le notariat.

Congrès international de droit comparée-Minutes of the meetings, and documents. 2 vols.

Le régime des cultes en France et a l'étranger. Collection of works published by the Société de Législation Comparée with an introduction by Mr. Louis Delzons.

In addition, various codes of law have been translated into French, annotated by members of the society and printed, with appropriate acknowledgments to the society, by the Government of France.

The budget of the society for the year 1913, as settled by the Council, was as follows:

Preparation for the Third Hague Peace Conference

At its meeting of November 14, 1914, the Executive Committee discussed the question of preparations by the governments for the Third Hague Peace Conference, and apprehension was expressed lest that Conference should fail to be called at the suggested time. As a result of the Committee's consideration, a resolution was adopted requesting the Director of the Division of International Law to submit a report to the Executive Committee upon the preparations which have been made for holding the Third Hague Conference and what action the Endowment could properly and usefully take in connection with the calling and meeting of that conference.

With a view to obtaining the data and preparing the recommendations called for by this resolution, the Division is carefully examining all available sources of information. A list is being prepared of the book and periodical literature touching the First and Second Hague Conferences, as well as the Third Confer

ence, and note is being made of all suggestions for the program of the next Conference; thus far about one thousand references have been collected. On February 2, 1914, the Director of the Division addressed letters to the leading international lawyers, jurists and professors of international law in the world with a view to obtaining their opinions upon the questions raised in the Executive Committee's resolution. Among those addressed are the members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague and of the Institute of International Law. Answers to these letters are now being received.

Quite recently, indeed in the last days of January, Mr. Bryan, Secretary of State, sent instructions (quoted below) to American diplomatic agents accredited to the countries which took part in the Second Hague Conference, urging that steps be taken for the meeting of a Third Conference in the year 1915, in accordance with the vau of the Second Conference. This action was, it would seem, the result of a letter of the President of the Endowment, dated December 10, 1913, to Mr. Bryan, a copy of which is appended.

My dear Mr. Secretary:

[ANNEX.]

Mr. Root to Secretary of State Bryan

December 10, 1913.

A number of gentlemen who are concerned in the administration of the trust established under the title of "The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace", particularly those who took part in the Hague Conferences, are much disturbed by the belief that, owing to the preoccupation of many European Governments in very pressing and important affairs, the preparation which will be necessary for the holding of another conference is not enlisting the official interest in other countries which is desirable. The Trustees have accordingly requested me to ask your consideration of the question whether in some way an impulse can not be given which will result in greater activity of preparation on the part of other Powers.

The Final Act of the Peace Conference of 1907 provided,

Finally, the conference recommends to the powers the assembly of a Third Peace Conference, which might be held within a period corresponding to that which has elapsed since the preceding conference, at a date to be fixed by common agreement between the powers, and it calls their attention to the necessity of preparing the program of this Third Conference a sufficient time in advance to ensure its deliberations being conducted with the necessary authority and expedition.

In order to attain this object the conference considers that it would be very desirable that, some two years before the probable date of the meeting, a preparatory committee should be charged by the governments with the task of collecting the various proposals to be submitted to the conference, of ascertaining what subjects are ripe for embodiment in an international regulation, and of preparing a program which the governments should decide upon in sufficient time to enable it to be carefully examined by the countries interested. This committee should further be intrusted with the task of proposing a system of organization and procedure for the conference itself.

This provision is of especial interest to the United States because the American delegates to the Second Conference made a special point of urging that the assembling of