Before dealing with the Battle of Soissons itself and its effects on penitential discipline, the author discusses its historical background and setting. The end of the Ninth and the beginning of the Tenth Century saw the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire. The French Royal house in particular was submitted to two destructive forces. The first of these were the predatory raids of the Norsemen on the lands held for the King. In order to put an end to these activities, Charles the Simple ceded in 911 a whole province of his kingdom, later to be known as Normandy, thus recognizing an occupation which had already taken place, in return for which the Normans undertook to embrace Christianity. This point is of importance in view of the behaviour of these recent converts at the Battle of Soissons some twelve years later.

In its Circular No. 430 of August 23, 1960, the International Committee of the Red Cross had the honour to invite the Central Committees of National Societies to send in the names of nurses and voluntary aids whom they judged qualified to receive the Florence Nightingale Medal. This invitation, which quoted Article I of the Regulations, was accompanied by questionnaires bearing various headings for the candidatures.

The Red Cross medical teams in the Congo, which now include more than 35 doctors, are continuing their work courageously in conditions which are sometimes difficult. Several of the teams are working in remote areas and are almost cut off from the outside world. Nevertheless, in most cases, the ICRC Delegation is able to send them the equipment and medicaments they need, should other means of transport be lacking, by chartering private aircraft. A donation of the British Red Cross made it possible to purchase and dispatch a quantity of medicaments of which the teams were in need

The accounts appended concern the Foundation for the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Augusta Fund and the Florence Nightingale Medal. Details concerning the Empress Shôken Fund (as on December 31, 1960) were given in the previous issue of the Revue Internationale in connection with the fortieth distribution of allocations from the income of this Fund. It will be recalled that the Augusta Fund was established to commemorate the eminent services rendered to the Red Cross by the Empress of Germany, Queen of Prussia, and was intended to be employed in the general interests of the Red Cross. The Fund for the Florence Nightingale Medal was established in memory of the services of Florence Nightingale. The income is used for the distribution of a medal by the ICRC, every two years, awarded to Red Cross nurses and voluntary aids who have distinguished themselves exceptionally by their devotion to sick or wounded in time of peace or of war.

In its letter of February 24, 1961, to the Federal Political Department in Berne, the Government of the Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville) confirms that this State would abide by the Geneva Conventions of 1949 as from June 30, 1960 when it became independent.