Writers have expressed the view that man's interest in projects for establishing perpetual peace is as old as man's participation in warfare. We cannot be certain that Europe can be considered the cradle of such projects for peace, although the Greek city states certainly elaborated a complex system of treaty relationships between themselves to that end. Europe was not to see a like network of sophisticated treaty relationships until the 19th century. Supporting these elaborate treaty networks was the fact that the Greeks enjoyed a common religious-legal and linguistic substratum which tended to mitigate the harshness of the intense intercity rivalries and enmities. The Greeks, as in so many other excursions in thought, were the architects of the modern array of different kinds of political treaties, e.g., of alliance, confederation, federation and, from the 4th century B.C., peace treaties of unlimited duration. In particular, religious leagues were established for the common defence of a shared and sacred shrine. Such were the Amphictyonys of the 5th century B.C. The religious bond between the cities parties to such compacts extended into the political sphere so that the city states bound thereby became confederated by the terms of the amphictyony, as was the case of the confederate association for the protection of the great shrine at Delphi.

The principle of proportionality, though it would seem self-evident, is nevertheless difficult to apply fully in real life, where it encounters numerous obstacles.

Let us take some real examples from the Red Cross world. During the Second World War, the ICRC transported and distributed in prisoner-of-war camps of certain countries vast quantities of relief packages it received from the countries of origin of the prisoners. It accepted this task since it was a good thing for at least part of the victims to receive assistance. There were also however many prisoners who received nothing at all, because their countries were powerless to act. The ICRC then tried to arrange for some of the packages addressed to the more fortunate prisoners to be delivered to those in greatest need. The donors sometimes agreed to this, but doing so was nevertheless exceptional and affected only a small proportion of the total shipments.

The ICRC was honoured in 1978-9 to receive several distinguished guests; they were welcomed by President Hay, together with other members of the International Committee and members of the directorate:

5 December 1978, Their Majesties King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden, accompanied by the Permanent Representative of Sweden in Geneva;

16 June 1979, Mr. J. C. Turbay Ayala, President of the Republic of Colombia, accompanied by Mrs. Turbay Ayala, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Defence and the Colombian Permanent Representative to Geneva;

21 June, Their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophie of Spain, with a large retinue including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Labour, the Spanish Ambassador and the Spanish Permanent Representative to Geneva;

3 July, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, U.N. Secretary-General, with Mr. L. Cottafavi and Mr. W. Buffum, Under Secretaries-General, and others;

11 October, Mr. Abel Alier, Second Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan, with Mr. Isseldin Hamid, Minister of State, Mr. Omar Yusif Birido, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Geneva.

In 1979 Mr. Alexandra Hay, President of the ICRC, undertook missions in several countries where he had discussions on subjects of interest to the ICRC and the Red Cross in general with National Red Cross Society leaders and various government officials.

Following the ICRC decision, on 4 April 1979 to recognize the Swaziland Red Cross Society, the President, Mr. Nkosi, and the National Director, Mrs. Dlamini, of this newly recognized National Society, who had come to Geneva for the General Assembly of the League of Red Cross Societies, were received on 4 October by the ICRC's ExecutiveBoard.

On 8 September, a monument to Dr. Marcel Junod, an ICRC delegate, was unveiled at Hiroshima. The monument, a cross of granite with a medallion of Dr. Junod, was sponsored by a Hiroshima committee of the Medical Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the local branch of the Japanese Red Cross and other institutions. The ICRC was represented at the ceremony by its honorary delegate in Japan, Mr. A. Michaud.

continued its protection and assistance activities in aid of the victims of the conflict. During those two months, it distributed 541 tons of foodstuffs, 3,000 blankets, clothing, 12.5 tons of soap, and building material for huts, to a total value of 380,000 Swiss francs, to the 68,000 displaced persons throughout Rhodesia for whom the ICRC provides aid at regular intervals.