Except in the Western Hemisphere war conditions well-nigh extinguished the holding of international conferences during 1940, although a few in Europe may be mentioned. What may be the last meetings for some time to come of three aggregations of small European states — the Balkan Entente, the Scandinavian states, and the Balkan states — occurred during the early spring.
Balkan, Baltic and Scandinavian Conferences.
Representatives of the countries of the Balkan Entente (Turkey, Greece, Rumania and Yugoslavia) met at Belgrade Feb. 2-4 and re-affirmed their united interests for peace and security in Southeastern Europe, for closer economic ties, and for friendly but independent relations with their neighbors. This cautious re-affirmation of regional action at least expressed an encouraging outlook. In the endeavor to maintain their common views and purposes, they prolonged the Balkan Pact for a period of seven years from Feb. 9, 1941, and set the next meeting for that date at Athens. Notwithstanding Rumania's loss of independence in November, reports from Turkey during December expressed hope for continuance of the Entente with the possible substitution of Bulgaria for Rumania. In Copenhagen, Feb. 24-25, the foreign ministers of Denmark, Norway and Sweden emphasized again their permanently neutral principles by agreeing especially to maintain the inviolability of neutral territory in accordance with international law and by trying to avert illegality in naval warfare and the consequent negotiations with belligerents. A conference of the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) ended in Riga March 16 with a statement of their intention to adhere to their strong belief in neutrality and thus, by avoiding conflicts, to maintain their independence.
Questions Concerning the Danube.
Several meetings connected with control of shipping on the Danube took place during the year. At Bucharest, Feb. 17-20, delegates from Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Rumania and Yugoslavia attended a Danube Shipping Conference to discuss issues arising from the war. The International Danube Commission, on April 18, decided that the riverine states should be responsible for policing the river within their respective territories and for safety of traffic as opposed to a German demand to control all shipping and shore policing. The European Danube Commission held its spring session at Galatz, Rumania, May 20-29. On Oct. 26 it was announced that Germany and Russia, with Italy's approval, had decided to end both the International and European Commissions of the Danube and, instead, to set up a new Danube Commission on which Russia, Germany, Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Yugoslavia would be represented. A new international statute relating to traffic between Galatz and the sea was drawn up. The new commission met in November, and its prolonged disagreement was reported.
Conference of British Territories in the East.
At the invitation of the Government of India a conference began Oct. 25 in Delhi among the territories of the British Empire south and east of Suez to determine a joint policy for coordinating and developing their war resources. To establish a permanent liaison arrangement a standing committee was set up. This meeting represents a new development in relations between the territories represented — Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Burma, Ceylon, Southern Rhodesia, East Africa, Hongkong, Malaya and Palestine, with observers from the Netherlands East Indies.
Pan-American Conference.
Among the American conferences perhaps the most elaborate was the Eighth American Scientific Congress, which met in Washington May 10-17 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Pan-American Union. Upon the invitation of the President of the United States three hundred Latin American scientists and two thousand from the United States attended as members, including the most distinguished American scientists, educators and scholars. The Congress divided into sections devoted to particular fields — anthropological, biological and geological sciences, agriculture and conservation, public health and medicine, physical and chemical sciences, statistics, history and geography, international and public law and jurisprudence, economics and sociology, and education. Besides the exchange of views on the latest achievements in science and encouragement to scientific thought, the underlying purpose of this gathering corresponded to that for all inter-American assemblies, i.e., the study of problems peculiar to this hemisphere and encouragement of a closer understanding among the American republics, especially in the threat to Western civilization. The Congress passed resolutions to appoint commissions on Pan American Conservation and Pan American Soil Conservation, to establish an Inter-American Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and to encourage rubber production in the Americas. Concurrently various other organizations met in Washington, such as the American Society of International Law, the Committee on International and Comparative Law of the American Bar Association, the American Institute of International Law, and the American Law Institute. (See also PAN-AMERICAN COOPERATION.)
Two radio conferences held in Santiago, Chile, were the Third South American Radio Conference, Jan. 13-17, and, following it, the Second Inter-American Radio Conference, Jan. 18-23. The latter modified the present Inter-American Radio Convention of 1937 as to amateurs and considered the detailed revision of its allocation tables, together with the use of the most advanced standards in radio communication as a factor in increasing safe air navigation. The next meeting will be at Rio de Janeiro in 1943.
A Conference of Jurisconsults, with delegates from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, reconvened in Montevideo March 6-19, after adjournment from Aug. 4, 1939. Meeting to revise texts of the eight original treaties signed at Montevideo in 1889, the conference adopted the amended treaties on Asylum and Political Refugees, Intellectual Property (copyright), and Exercise of the Liberal Professions, and signed five new treaties — on Civil, Penal, Processal, and Commercial Law and on Commercial Navigation. Also in Montevideo, March 4-9, was held the Fifth Pan-American Congress of Architects and the Fifth Pan-American Exposition of Architecture and City Planning. At the latter, through the cooperation of the interested departments and agencies of the government and of the American Institute of Architects, the United States representatives arranged an exhibit that included the 'National Exhibition of Representative Buildings of the Post War Period' recently shown throughout the country under the auspices of the American Federation of Arts.
A new gathering met April 14-24 at Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan State, Mexico. This was the Inter-American Congress on Indian Life, held to promote and coordinate a continental program for the emancipation of American Indian peoples. Ten countries were represented. This first Congress resulted from resolutions of the Seventh and Eighth International Conferences of the American States for the purpose of interchanging information and opinions about protecting indigenous peoples. Accordingly, it considered questions regarding their education, medical care, housing, biology, and economic and social problems. The Congress urged the establishment of a Pan American bank for agricultural credit.
Another first conference was the meeting of 'popular political parties' in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 3-8, under the auspices of the Chilean Socialist Party. Representatives of leftist parties attended from Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina. Topics of discussion included the repercussions of the war on Latin America, political and economic problems arising from the war, totalitarian activity in the Americas, permanent coordination of popular forces in Latin America to defend democracy, and relations with the United States. Two resolutions concerned the early establishment of a common Spanish-American citizenship and arbitration for peaceful solution of all inter-American disputes.
Under the auspices of the Pan-American Sanitary Bureau, the Fourth Pan-American Conference of National Directors of Health met in Washington, May 1-8, with a larger attendance than ever before, including representatives from Canada and Dutch Guiana. The meeting, which was concurrent with that of the American members of the Permanent Committee of the International Office of Public Health, took definite action on various problems of immediate interest, such as proposals regarding aerial sanitation, malaria, serology of syphilis, nutrition, public health personnel, vital statistics, a sanitary code, typhoid control, and industrial hygiene. A health exhibition was also held.
The second meeting of the Inter-American Union of the Caribbean occurred at Ciudad Trujillo, Dominican Republic, from May 31 to June 6. This organization, with headquarters at Havana, is composed of representatives of the governments and cultural agencies of the countries and possessions bordering on the Caribbean and exists to further closer relations among them. A previous conference had been held in Havana under private auspices; this one was attended by representatives of the eleven governments concerned, including the United States. Its official purpose was to discuss subjects of cultural and economic interest, but a political note was introduced by approving a declaration that advocated the independence of all European colonies in the Americas. The conference also approved a resolution for ownership of all air lines in the Western Hemisphere by citizens of American nations. (See also DOMINICAN REPUBLIC; PERU.)
Under the auspices of the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee created by the First Meeting of the American Foreign Ministers in Panama (September 1939), the First Inter-American Maritime Conference met in Washington on Oct. 2. The delegates included experts on maritime matters from all the American governments and, in an advisory capacity, representatives of the national steamship companies. The agenda contained the following topics: transportation of commerce in the Western Hemisphere; effect of the present war on American shipping; passenger and tourist travel between Western Hemisphere nations; port dues, charges, taxes and other imposts on shipping; the equitable distribution of cargoes in inter-American trade; national merchant marines; study of harmonizing government shipping statistics and possibilities of reducing shipping costs; consideration of suggestions for a continued procedure in dealing with shipping problems of the Americas. The maritime conference will work with the subcommittee on problems of an individual and urgent character of the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee.
From Dec. 5 to 14 the Fourth Pan-American Red Cross Conference met in Santiago, Chile, with delegates from the twenty-one American republics present. Sessions were held on all aspects of the humanitarian work carried on throughout the world by Red Cross societies — American, international, national — by the League of Red Cross Societies, and by the Junior organization.
Among the other meetings held were the following: the third annual convention of the Inter-American Bibliographical and Library Association in Washington, Feb. 23-24, especially commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the Pan American Union and included an exhibition of Latin American printing and other graphic arts; the Second Pan American Conference of Commercial Agents met at Rio de Janeiro from May 25 to June 1; at the University of California, Aug. 12-17, the Second International Congress of Professors of Ibero-American Literature included delegates from governments and educational institutions in the various countries concerned and individual leaders in the field of literature; nineteen American states were represented at the meeting of the Inter-American Commission of Women which was held in November at Washington.
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