The first, and still the chief, object of the Red Cross is to mitigate the suffering caused by war.

Man, from earliest time, has sought to prevent war if possible, and to mitigate its consequences when it does occur. By the “Truce of God” first recorded in 1027, fighting, then recognised as the occupation of a gentleman, was forbidden under ecclesiastical sanctions, from Thursday morning to Sunday night. This is an approach to the outlawing of war. Still older, dating from the Council of Charroux in 980, was the “Peace of God” which declared inviolable during war, the persons of peasants, merchants, and pilgrims and especially of priests, monks and nuns—on whose care the wounded and sick depended at that time.

On several occasions the International Review has published articles and information on a problem which at the moment is holding the attention of people and institutions concerned in every country, that of the humanization of the hospital.

A considerable development is to be noted in this field and pilot-hospitals are showing the way forward with numerous innovations. These problems correspond to those of many National Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Lion and Sun Societies, which possess their own hospitals and train nurses in their own schools.

The Regulations of the Augusta Fund provide for the distribution of income from the Fund every fourth year on the occasion of the International Red Cross Conferences. As these Conferences do not take place at regular intervals, the International Committee of the Red Cross has informed the National Societies, in its Circular No. 429 of March 20, 1960, that such income would henceforth be distributed every fourth year, irrespective of the date on which the Conferences are held.

As is mentioned elsewhere in the International Review, the ICRC charged Mr. S. Gonard to examine the activities of its delegation in Algeria and to have an interview on that subject with the President of the Algerian Government, as had been agreed in February of this year.

In June 1963, Mr. Gonard, after having conferred with the head of the delegation, went to the places where the delegates of the ICRC have been carrying out their activities for the past three months, for the most part by teams of two delegates each. He was able to assure himself that, as regards visits to former harkis in detention and also concerning searches for persons missing since the " cease fire " of March 19, 1962, the delegation's activities are proceeding in a normal manner.

The International Committee is pursuing its activity in favour of the victims of events in the Yemen. Despite the great difficulties caused by the very nature of the country and the conditions in which this struggle is going on, the Red Cross is anxious to remain on the spot in both camps. Its two doctor-delegates have arrived back in Geneva for consultation : Dr Jiirg Baer came from Sanaa, capital of the Yemen Arab Republic and Dr Bruno Beretta from the southern regions of Saudi Arabia. The ICRC is examining with them the possibility of arranging further releases or exchanges of prisoners.

Messages continue to flow into the ICRC on the occasion of the Centenary of the Red Cross. Following those which were sent by the National Societies, we are publishing below some messages and addresses which have been sent by institutions of various countries:

World Medical Association

L'Association médicale mondiale désire présenter an Mouvemeni de la Croix-Rouge, par votre intermédiate, ses congratulations pour cent années de magnifiques services à I'humanite. Elle rend hommage, ainsi, à la mémoir e de son fondateur et l'initiateur de la Convention de Genève, Jean-Henry Dunant.

By means of a communication which was delivered in Berne on May 18, 1963, the Royal Government of Saudi Arabia notified the Swiss Federal Council of its accession to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. This accession, which is free of any reservation, will come into effect on November 18, 1963.

The International Committee has awarded its Silver Medal to one of its delegates, Mr. Roger Vust. It was during a plenary session on June 6, 1963 that Mr. Leopold Boissier gave him this souvenir in the name of the institution over which he presides.

Mr. Vust has represented the ICRC since 1942 in Algeria where, from 1944 to 1945, as assistant to Dr. Wyss-Dunant, he visited the prisoners of war. At the same time he was constantly intervening with the Allied Military Authorities for the organization of relief convoys and the forwarding of civilian messages. From 1945 onwards, he was the head of the Delegation and up to 1947 he also attended to the repatriation of the seriously wounded and to the tracing of missing persons.

It was with deep regret that the International Committee of the Red Cross learned of the death of Pope John XXIII. Mr. Leopold Boissier, President of the ICRC, sent the following telegram to the Secretary of State of the Vatican:

I am profoundly moved by the demise of His Holiness John XXIII of whom I personally shall retain a vivid memory for his beneficent attitude and benevolent support to the humanitarian tasks of the Red Cross. The International Committee of the Red Cross pays homage to the great personality of Pope John XXIII, who worked so intensively for peace. I request you to receive and to convey to the College of Cardinals the expression of my most respectful condolences.