A prison visitor… a spokesman for enemy internees in a nation at war… a doctor or surgeon at the bedside of wounded or sick victims of hostilities… a registrar of records to identify detainees, search for the missing, bring families together again… a distributor of food and blankets… a transport manager: these are only some of the jobs of an ICRC delegate. He must be a man of goodwill who may be considered to be a help to the detaining authorities in the solution of the delicate problems arising from the detention of prisoners of war. The delegate knows that his work will not be easy. His activities take place, typically, in a disorganized and war-torn country. He will be concerned with the enemies of that country, prisoners and internees who will very often be the object of hatred. He will speak in the name of what is right and in the name of humanity, at the very moment when passions are at their height and when such language has the least chance of being heard.

An international symposium on Medical Care and Protection of Prisoners and Detainees was organized by the Ciba Foundation, in London, from 27 to 30 November 1972. The papers read at the symposium and the discussions which followed related mainly to minimum rules governing the treatment of all detainees, provisions made by various governments regarding hygiene, care, food, etc., and the role of the doctor in that domain. The texts were compiled and assembled in a volume published some time ago.

The book contains a study essentially based on the experiences of ICRC delegates which will undoubtedly be of particular interest to readers. It was written by the late Pierre Boissier, and we wish to thank the Ciba Foundation for allowing us to reproduce it. (Ed.)

A plenary meeting of the International Committee of the Red Cross has elected its future President. Its choice was Mr. Alexandre Hay of Geneva, Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Swiss National Bank, and member of the ICRC.

ICRC Activities. — The most urgent humanitarian needs are for medical and surgical assistance and protection and aid for military and civilian victims, including displaced civilians. To carry out the various activities required, the ICRC has maintained contact with authorities of the transitional government of Angola at Luanda, Nova Lisboa and Kinshasa, and with the Portuguese High Commissioner. To overcome difficulties in delivering relief and transporting its delegates in Angola, the ICRC chartered a DC-6 aircraft which left Geneva on 1 September for Luanda with a cargo of about 3½ tons of relief supplies (milk, vitamins and food).

As customary, the International Committee has published, for 1974, its Annual Report. The first six chapters give an account of the Committee's extensive and varied work during the year; the seventh is devoted to the ICRC's financial situation and the special funds which it manages.