preponderating part. The members felt that the Hague Conferences had justified their existence, that they should meet at stated periods and that, international in name, they should be international in fact, that is, under the control of the nations themselves instead of under the domination of any one nation or a restricted group of nations, as was the case in the First and Second Conferences. It is also evident, without further comment, that this group of recommendations looks upon the Conference as a diplomatic body, not as a parliament or legislature, which recommends projects to the nations to become effective by their ratification by the nations.

The fourth recommendation suggests the appointment of a committee to meet between the Conferences to procure the ratification of the conventions and declarations and in appropriate ways to secure their observance, on the theory, only too well justified by events, that what is everybody's business is nobody's concern, and that, if the conventions and declarations of the Hague Conferences are worth while, it should be the duty of somebody to look to their ratification, to call their provisions to the attention of the nations in case of violation, and to discharge such other duties as the nations might in their wisdom delegate to the committee appointed by and answerable to them.

The fifth recommendation asks the nations to agree upon certain fundamental principles of law, and suggests for this purpose its Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Nations; because, if we are to administer the law, we must know the law, and, if the law is to be developed, it should be developed from the known to the unknown, either by international conferences, by special agreements of the nations, or by courts of justice.

The sixth to the ninth recommendations, inclusive, advocate the creation of an international council of conciliation to consider, to discuss, and to report upon such questions of a non-justiciable character as may be submitted to such council by an agreement of the Powers for this purpose; the employment of good offices in the settlement of non-justiciable disputes; the application of arbitration in non-justiciable and indeed in justiciable disputes which by delay or mismanagement have become acute and therefore of a political nature; and, finally, the negotiation of a convention along the lines of the Universal Postal Convention of 1906, to which all nations shall be parties, pledging them to submit their justiciable disputes, that is to say, their controversies involving law and equity, to the permanent court of this union, whose decisions are to bind not merely the countries in litigation, but all nations creating the court.

In the tenth and final recommendation, the Institute advocated the creation of a public opinion in favor of the nine recommendations, in the belief that the greatest of all sanctions is, as the framers of the American Declaration of Independence have said, a "decent respect to the opinions of mankind."

As some of the Recommendations of Habana are considered in the intro

duction to the annual report of the Division, it does not seem necessary to dwell upon them further, but the Director is unwilling to close even this brief and inadequate summary of the session at Habana without stating in the most formal and solemn manner his belief that its proceedings alone would have justified the labor involved in the preparations for the session, that the Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Nations and the Recommendations of Habana, adopted at the first two meetings of the Institute, are in themselves sufficient to justify the years involved in its creation. He also desires, before closing, to express the opinion that the American Institute of International Law can in cooperation with the twenty-one societies of international law of the Western Continent render great services to the cause of international justice and, therefore, of international peace by determining the principles of justice applicable to nations as they are to individuals, by incorporating them in rules of law which should govern nations in their mutual intercourse, and by diffusing a knowledge of the principles of justice and of the rules of law among the peoples of the American continent, so that there may be created in behalf of justice a public opinion which shall embrace at least a continent. The Director is well aware of the magnitude of the task which the Institute has assumed, but he believes that with intelligent devotion, the cooperation of American publicists, and the encouragement of the American Republics, the Institute will not labor in vain, and that, in the course of years, it will justify the purpose and the promises of its foundation. It has already justified the expectations of its founders, and the session at Washington and the session at Habana furnish in the opinion of the Director ample evidence that American publicists are equal to the task which they have undertaken.

The Director therefore recommends the continuance of the subvention which made the meeting at Habana possible and which will assure even a greater attendance at Montevideo, because of the central position of Uruguay.

Lecture Tour of Dr. Alejandro Alvarez

The Director is pleased to report that the lecture tour of American institutions of learning by Dr. Alejandro Alvarez, referred to in the report of the Division for last year1, is now being successfully completed.

Dr. Alvarez is Secretary General of the American Institute of International Law, associate of the Institut de Droit International, member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, formerly Counselor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, formerly Counselor to the Chilean Legations in Europe, represented Chile at the Fourth Pan American Conference, member of the Committee of Jurists charged, in conformity with a resolution of that Conference. with the Codification of International Law. He is the author of La Nationalité

1 Year Book for 1916, p. 158.

dans le Droit International Américain, Le Droit International Américain, La Codification du Droit International, and La Grande Guerre Européenne et la Neutralité du Chile.

The following schedule was arranged for Dr. Alvarez and has been adhered to up to the date of the present writing:

Princeton University, two lectures, on November 21 and 22, 1916,
Columbia University, one lecture, on November 23, 1916,

University of Pennsylvania, three lectures, on November 27, 28 and 29, 1916,

Yale University, two lectures, on December 7 and 9, 1916,

Harvard University, three lectures, on December 12, 13 and 14, 1916, Louisiana State University, three lectures, on February 12, 13 and 14, 1917, Tulane University, three lectures, on February 15, 16 and 17, 1917, Washington University, St. Louis, three lectures, on February 28, March 1 and 2, 1917,

University of Chicago, three lectures, on March 6, 7 and 8, 1917,

Northwestern University, one lecture, on March 9, 1917,

University of Wisconsin, three lectures, during week of March 12 to 17. 1917,

University of Michigan, three lectures, during the week of March 19 to 24, 1917,

Cornell University, three lectures, during period of March 26 to 30, 1917. The Director regrets very much that, owing to the crowded condition of the calendar at the University of Virginia, it was not found practicable to arrange for lectures at that university.

The lectures at each university were selected by Dr. Alvarez from a series of eight upon the following subjects:

On the Necessity of Reconstructing the Political and Social Sciences, especially International Law-Rapprochement of the Anglo-Saxon and

Latin-American Schools.

Rights of Independence and of Liberty-American Independence-First Constitutional Governments.

The Monroe Doctrine and its Scope from the Latin-American Point of View.

Basis for the Reconstruction of International Law.

On the New Orientation that has become Necessary in the Study of International Law.

Origin, Nature and Object of the Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Nations.

Comparison of the Internal and International Political Organization of the United States with that of Latin America-Problems arising as a Result of Independence.

Right of Existence and of Free Development-Right of Sovereignty-
Right of Legal Equality-Limitation of the Fundamental Rights of
States.

Several different kinds of audiences attended these lectures. Wherever feasible, they were delivered before the classes on international law, augmented by students of other branches of law and political science. In other cases, they were delivered before university community gatherings and mixed public audiences, including in some instances high officials of the State. The lectures have been uniformly successful and have attracted much attention in the public press. The lecture upon the Monroe Doctrine has produced especially favorable comment.

The Director is already in receipt of requests from other universities for an opportunity to hear these lectures, but he regrets that it is now too late in the academic year to make arrangements for another tour by Dr. Alvarez. He proposes, however, that Dr. Alvarez be retained for a similar tour during the next academic year, and that he be sent to lecture before colleges and universities in the Middle West, West and the Pacific Coast. The Executive Committee has approved this recommendation and an item to carry it into effect has been included in the estimates for the Division for the ensuing fiscal year.

South American Trip of Professor de Lapradelle

Mr. Albert de Lapradelle, Professor of International Law in the University of Paris and Exchange Professor in International Law at Columbia University during the academic term 1914-15, made during the course of the present year, an extended visit to certain Latin-American countries under the auspices of the Endowment, and as representative of the Division of International Law and of the Division of Intercourse and Education.

Professor de Lapradelle left New York in August of the year 1916, visited Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama, and arrived in Cuba on his return to the United States the latter part of January, 1917.

Professor de Lapradelle made it a point to come into contact with international lawyers of the different countries which he visited. He discussed with them the ways and means of making the American Institute of International Law effective, and the cooperation between the Institute, on the one hand, and the international law societies, on the other, productive of the most beneficial results. At the same time he discussed with leaders of thought in each of the countries visited, the activities of societies of conciliation and the steps which local conditions would suggest to render their work effective.

The views which Professor de Lapradelle has formed as to the appreciation

of international law in the various countries which he visited are very interesting and were of great value to the Director in connection with the session of the American Institute of International Law which was held in Habana in the last week of January, 1917.

Professor de Lapradelle will publish a report of his visit to Latin America, which will be printed and circulated.

Bibliothèque Internationale du Droit des Gens

The Director is unable to report as much progress upon the publication of the volumes included in this series as he would like. Early in the present year Professor de Lapradelle, the Director of the Bibliothèque, was sent to South America by the Endowment in the interest of the work of the Division of Intercourse and Education and the Division of International Law, and he has therefore been unable to devote as much time to his duties as Director of the Bibliothèque as would otherwise have been the case.

The following is a statement of the present status of each publication which has been authorized up to the present time to be included in the series:

Lawrence: The Principles of International Law. The translation of this work is still in press, the delay being due to the postponement of the correction of the proofs because of Professor de Lapradelle's visit to South America.

Liszt: Lehrbuch des l'ölkerrechts. The appearance of this work from the press has been delayed for the same reason given above.

Scott: The Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907. The translation of these volumes has now been completed and they will be sent to press within a short time.

Westlake: International Law. The translation of this work is still in course of preparation.

Kleen: Krigets Lagar. The translation of this work has been completed and it will shortly be sent to press.

de Louter: Het Stellig Völkenrecht. The editing of the translation of this work has been delayed on account of the South American trip of Professor de Lapradelle.

Triepel: Völkerrecht und Landesrecht. The negotiations with Mr. Pedone of Paris for including his French edition of this work in the series issued by the Endowment were interrupted by the trip of Professor de Lapradelle to South America and have not since been resumed. It is expected to resume them at an early date.

1Year Book for 1916, p. 174.