INTERNATIONAL UNIONS //OR THE PROTECTION OF ' PROPERTY. (1) International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property, an organization with headquarters at Berne,. Switzerland, which' dates from 1880,. and its first 'conference that year held' in Paris, followed by. another in Rome, 1886; Madrid, 1890 and 1891, and Brus sels,- 1899-1910. The work of •the Union was brought prominently before public United States when the delegates met at Wash. ington, 15 ;May 1911, to consider amendments and revision- to the. Treaty of Paris of 18138: President Taft selected five men prominent In the world of patents- to represent the United States.: Hon, Ed. B. Morse, Commissioner of Patents;. Mr. F. 13. Fish, Mr. Charles Duell, Mr. Melville Church and •Mr. Robert H. Park'. insbn. The deliberations of the conferences are secret, and final texts of treaties as amended are not given out until ratified by the various nations. represented. ' convention signed at .Washington 2 June 1911 was ratified by representatives of Austria-Hungary, Dceniniean Spahr, United States, France, Great Britain,. Italy. :Japan, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal; Switzerland, and Tunis. Five govenimenttad4 tiering to prior conventions which did. not ratiffr were Belgium,. Brazil, Cuba,' Denmark -and Sweden. '•Twenty :other nations ,had-been in vited to take part and become: adherents, to the Paris. Tteaty•1883And its subsequent amend meets, ?but did 1104 respond:. There was, how
ever, evidence of.,increasing integest in the Union on the pattof noneadhexing countries The:date:of, , the-next conference-to- be held at The klagee..was -postponed indefinitely ,on.
count of the great- EitroPetUni War.: .. (2) Internatisstrial Society- for the Protec tion of Property.-7A seoietet reported 17, July, 1916 as forni.141- with headquarters in Zbrich, Switzerland,' to .:look after the-interests of persons own preperty.in.enemy coun tries which is liable to confiscation or enforced administration 'by the ,governments of warring nations. The Society. pledges Itself to .try and persuade the ,respeclive goyernments- to release the requi,sitioned property of enemy, subjects, and also- to take care of the interests of their colleagues, whenever possible. The members of the Society include a great many rich persons threatened with impoverishment -in both of the warring 'groups, And several- leading jurists in peutraleountries.interested,in the problem that has arisen of private property having to pro tect itself against the. state, winch, according to current belief, should be the first protection pf Private property,. -The Society does not limit its activities to mere protests, but uses the most radical measures in case of. necessity. ,