Yet, though Gustave Moynier recognized that the rules relative to wounded or sick troops should clearly form a part of a plan for the codification of the most important laws of war—for it was he who had suggested in 1868 to the President of the Swiss Confederation that, because of the very close connection existing between the Law of Geneva and Alexander II's project, the Geneva Conference might be linked to the Conference of Saint Petersburg, to alleviate “as much as possible the calamities of war” — he did not show much enthusiasm, even while declaring his approval of the new Russian proposals, and did not hide his attitude of reserve.

Last February we devoted an article to a book by Jacques Moreillon, ICRC delegate-general, which had been published by the Henry Dunant Institute. We give below an English version of one chapter (translated by us) of the book which, we would state, was submitted as a thesis to the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, under the sole responsibility of the author.

We have the honour to inform you that the International Committee of the Red Cross, on 10 October 1974, officially recognized The Gambia Red Cross Society.

The new Society was constituted on 1 October 1966 and formally applied for recognition by the International Committee on 18 April 1974. Its request was supported by various documents including its Statutes, the Act of the Republic of the Gambia recognizing The Gambia Red Cross as a National Society auxiliary to the public authorities, and a report on the Society's activities.

The Conference of Government Experts on Weapons that may Cause Unnecessary Suffering or have Indiscriminate Effects, meeting in Lucerne under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross since 24 September 1974, closed on 18 October. It was attended by about 150 experts from some fifty countries, representatives of national liberation movements and of organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), National Red Cross Societies, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the International Confederation of Former Prisoners of War (ICFPW), and the NGO Special Committee on Disarmament.

In its issues of August, September and October 1974, the International Review published some information regarding the ICRC's humanitarian tasks accomplished in Cyprus. The various aspects of this action and its development are described in the following article.

Following the unrest in Lourenco Marques (Mozambique), and at the request of the Portuguese Red Cross, the ICRC regional delegate for Southern Africa, based on Rhodesia, took part in an emergency relief action which consisted in the despatch from Salisbury to Lourenço Marques, on 12 September 1974, of 700 kg of medicines and blood plasma, valued at 50,000 Swiss francs, for the principal hospital in that town. On the same day, he attended the first meeting between the Portuguese Red Cross, the Portuguese authorities and FRELIMO, with a view to organizing food supplies for the town and its suburbs.

By an Act dated 20 February 1974, Australia notified the Swiss Government, depositary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, of the withdrawal of the reservation formulated by the Australian Government at the time of its ratification, on 14 October 1958, of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

On 30 September, twenty-five Belgian army judges and officers, accompanied by Mr. R. Vermeylen, General Administrator of the Belgian Red Cross, visited the ICRC to acquaint themselves with the work done in Geneva to ensure the dissemination of the principles of international humanitarian law. They were received by Mr. Eric Martin, President of the International Committee. They saw several films and heard statements. Finally they visited the Central Tracing Agency, and were thus afforded a quick survey of the ICRC's various present activities.

The ICRC has just published four new colour posters. One illustrates the evacuation of serious battle casualties, one the repatriation of prisoners of war, and two the protection of the civilian population. They are available with captions in Arabic, English, French, German or Spanish, or without any caption at all.