Promotion of International Co-operation.—Nationalistic attitudes have thus prevented the attainment of any degree of political or economic disarmament. But in other fields the mem bers of the League have exhibited a continued readiness to utilize League facilities for international teamwork in the solution of common problems.
A conference on Road Traffic, meeting in 1931, adopted a uni form system of signals; a European Conference on Rural Hygiene in 1931 laid down guiding principles for the organization of med ical health service in rural districts; agreements have been reached on the unification of commercial law as regards bills of exchange, promissory notes and checks. Most important of all, perhaps, is the convention of 1931 for limiting manufacture of narcotic drugs, now in force as between 55 countries.
There could be no more eloquent testimony to the practical and scientific value of the work of the League's various technical organizations than the increasing tendency of governments to turn to them for assistance. Representatives of the Health Or ganization have undertaken, on request, to make suggestions for complete reorganization of national health services in Bolivia, China, Greece and Czechoslovakia. Experts of the Transit Organ ization have studied various programs for large scale public works proposed by governments as a remedy for unemployment. Out standing assistance has been given by the League to the govern ment of China in its comprehensive plan for national reconstruc tion, with particular reference to reorganization of health work, education and the construction of roads. The states of Central and Southern Europe, forced in the financial crisis of 1931 to partial default on loans issued under League auspices in 1923, turned again to the Financial Committee, and with the help of its experts have achieved a measure of financial stability.
A complete chronicle of the activities of the League from 1928 to 1935 would within the scope of this article be impossible. The disposition of its leading members to subordinate the in terests of the international community to their own nationalist ambitions has at times brought the League's prestige to low ebb. But strive toward self-containment as they may, no nation can escape the incontrovertible fact of world interdependence and the consequent necessity for international co-operation. Now in Geneva splendid new buildings to house the League are nearing completion, an appropriate symbol of its permanent character.
(R. B. F.) BIBLIOGRAPHY.-ThC main authorities are the League's own pub lications, which give complete information as to all its activities. In the first place the Official Journal contains the minutes of the Council with the documents presented to it ; while the records of Assembly meetings are issued in special supplements. All Treaties registered under Article i8 of the Covenant are published in the Treaty Series. All reports of specially appointed League Commis sions are at once published, as are also the periodical reports of permanent officers and authorities carrying on League work (such as the Commissioners General in Austria and Hungary, the Greek Refugee Settlement Commission, the Saar Governing Commission, etc.). As these official records are very voluminous the League also publishes (a) an abbreviated Monthly Summary, giving a regular account of League activities and (h) a series of special pamphlets as to special tasks (health work ; reconstruction of Austria ; mandates,