Da estatistica organizada pelo secretario do tribunal da cidade, de Indianapolis, Estados Unidos, (1904) verifica-se: numero de menores julgados, 680; numero de reincidentes, 110; postos em liberdade vigiada, 250; internados na casa de correcção, 216; moralmente abandonados, 90. Das 250 creanças que foram postas em liberdade vigiada apenas 6 reincidiram.

Tribunal de Salt-Lake-City, Estados Unidos (16 de Março de 1905). No periodo que decorreu entre 12 de Abril e 1o de Dezembro de 1905 compareceram perante aquelle tribunal 296 menores que alcançaram a liberdade vigiada; 43 foram absolvidos após algumas semanas de observação; 22 que não conseguiram a liberdade vigiada foram internados no asylo profissional.

Os cumplices adultos foram assim condemnados: 8 por terem vendido alcool a menores; 10 por terem vendido tabaco a menores; 1 por ter comprado objectos roubados; 7 paes negligentes foram condemnados á prisão com sursis; os demais tiveram de pagar 1,280 francos de multa.

O presidente do tribunal de Denver, Estados Unidos, cujos dotes de coração todos proclaman, tem conseguido verdadeiros milagres; basta dizer que, nestes ultimos quatro annos, o numero de reincidentes diminuiu consideravelmente naquella cidade.

Affirma Clement Griffe, juiz supplente do tribunal de Toulon, França, “que la proportion des enfants récidivistes est passée de 50 pour cent à 5 pour cent." Em 1906 o tribunal de Birmingham, Inglaterra, que foi a primeira cidade onde funccionou aquella excellente machina forense, julgou 687 creangas das quaes somente 15 reincidiram; no anno seguinte o tribunal de Liverpool condemnou 146 menores a liberdade vigiada; pois bem, apenas 9 portaram-se mal. Antes da installação daquelles tribunaes na cidade de Birmingham, o numero de rapazes (menores de 16 annos) condemnados á prisão elevou-se em 1904 & 204; depois que começaram a funccionar, apenas 72 soffreram aquella pena; em 1906 não houve uma unica condemnação de um menor de 16 annos.

Sanrat-Bey, que exerceu durante alguns annos o cargo de presidente do tribunal de menores no Cairo, escrevendo um consciencioso relatorio sobre as incalculaveis vantagens da imperecivel creação norte-americana, notava uma sensivel diminuição da criminalidade juvenil, depois de 1906, epocha em que as cidades do Cairo e Alexandria, fingindo não escutar a opposição dos rotineiros, installaram aquelles tribunaes.

Identicos resultados alcançaram a França, a Belgica, a Suissa, a Italia, a Hungria e a Allemanha, cujos annuarios de estatistica criminal, élaborados por profissionaes competentes, demostram quão uteis á tranquillidade social hão sido aquelles magnificos apparelhos judiciarios, que desejaramos ver vulgarizados no nosso amado Brasil.

Agora os que não estudam direito penal, nem conhecem as grandes conquistas da pedagogia moderna, cingindo-se exclusivamente a recommendar a multiplicação de escolas primarias, sem indicar os melhores methodos que as devem reger; os que ainda presos a preconceitos entendem que a pena deve ser cruel para torturar os delinquentes e intimidar os homems maus; os que consideram sonhadores aos que, desejosos de ver a sua patria forte e liberta de males que desvirilisam as nacionalidades, se não cançam de sollicitar dos poderes publicos a promulgação de medidas que possam modificar o caracter do homem, amparar a creança desvalida e proteger a mulher contra possíveis explorações, nada fazendo, entretanto, em proveito da sociedade em que vivem, que continuem a frecharnos com remoques e ironias, que jamais destruirão a nossa argumentação, nem tampouco enfraquecerão as nossas esperanças.

Finalizando este modesto estudo, escripto sómente para corresponder ao honroso convite que nos dirigiu o Dr. Glen Levin Swiggett, eminente secretario

do Segundo Congresso Scientifico Pan-Americano, solicitamos dos nossos jovens compatriotas o seu valioso auxilio para o triumpho desta santa cruzada á protecção da infancia abandonada.

E, si conseguirmos ver realizado este sonho que a nossa mente acaricia, experimentaremos um prazer indefinivel, por isso que a nossa victoria será mais brilhante que as que alcançam os valentes generaes; e a victoria da razão sobre os preconceitos, é a victoria do pensamento sobre a ignorancia.

The CHAIRMAN. This concludes the papers to be read this after

noon.

There remains unfinished business from the discussion of this morning. Gov. Baldwin has, in accordance with that discussion, prepared a resolution to be presented to us at this time, and I think we should take that up now.

Gov. BALDWIN. Mr. Chairman, the gentlemen who were present this morning may recollect that a suggestion was made that the attention of the Carnegie endowment should be called to the work of the Comparative Law Bureau of the American Bar Association, with a general expression of approbation of what that bureau is doing in bringing comparative law more fully before the American lawyer, both in North America and in South America, for in both continents the publications of the Comparative Law Bureau have a considerable circulation. Each subsection has its committee, and from the committee of this subsection this minute is reported:

The standing committee of the subsection on jurisprudence, having reference to the discussions before it of the topic of comparative law, and recognizing its great importance in contributing to bringing nations into closer relation and preventing misunderstanding between them, recommends to the Section the adoption of the following minute and resolution:

Upon the initiative of the subsection on jurisprudence, Section VI, desires to attest the recognition of the valuable work in the field of comparative law thus far done by the Bureau of Comparative Law of the American Bar Association. Its publications have annually brought before 10,000 American lawyers and a considerable number of foreigners, both juris-consults and publicists, important steps taken in the various countries of the world to develop their national legislation. The section views the work of the bureau as tending directly and distinctly to bring the nations of the world to a better understanding of each other and thus promote the cause of international friendliness and peace. It therefore ventures to suggest to the general committee that an overture might properly be presented by the Pan-American Scientific Congress to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, suggesting the consideration of the advisability of making an annual subvention to the Bureau of Comparative Law in order to extend and advance its work.

Mr. Chairman. I move that that minute be recommended by the subsection to the Section.

Mr. GEORGE H. BOKE. I second the motion.

The CHAIRMAN. The question is on agreeing to the motion made by Gov. Baldwin.

The motion was agreed to unanimously.

The CHAIRMAN. We have now reached the point where we should discuss the papers read this afternoon. A few comments have come to my mind as the papers were read, and I mention one of them now in the hope that you may be reminded by what I say of something you can say better.

I must say, gentlemen, that I entirely disapprove the suggestion by Prof. Wigmore that by a constitutional amendment or otherwise we should bring our individual States into any relation whatsoever with foreign countries. Of course he is right in saying that it is impossible with our present arrangements to bring to pass uniform laws throughout the United States simply by virtue of a treaty made by the National Government. That is true and perhaps unfortunate, but it would be infinitely worse to let our individual States enter into relations with foreign Governments, with the result, for aught I know, that one State would have something like commercial alliance with one foreign country and another State with another foreign country. There is a sufficient difference of opinion now, and the foreigners, both here and abroad, already have quite enough to say regarding American institutions; and although I should like to have something approaching similarity throughout the world, there are some places to draw the line, and I believe this to be one of them.

Mr. BOKE. I came here directly from a meeting of the Association of American Law Schools, and at that meeting the president in his report suggested that there be established a juristic school, or we may say, a center he used the word-for the study of jurisprudence. As a result of that recommendation the association appointed a committee to report back a plan for a juristic school and a recommendation whether the school should be separate from any existing law school.

Mr. BORCHARD. The idea itself is a magnificent one. It is so large that it is hard to grasp it in one sitting. To have this subject even discussed is of some value, even if we can not get prompt action upon it.

The CHAIRMAN. Gov. Baldwin's motion to-day had to do principally with the peculiar subject matter of this subsection. It had to do with private law rather than international or constitutional law. We had to refer that motion to the general section, but we referred it with our recommendation, because it apparently had to do principally with what arises out of the peculiar business of this subsection. From the little that Dr. Borchard has said, I could not help asking whether we can go further than to refer this present topic to the general section, for the reason that obviously this scheme has not to do with private law exclusively, nor even principally. It has to do very largely with international law and with constitutional law. I am wondering, without having at all made up my own mind, whether

we can go further than to refer the present proposition to the general section for its own discussion in the light of international and constitutional and ordinary legal problems.

Mr. EDER. I move that it be so referred.

Gov. BALDWIN. I second the motion.

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, may I make one suggestion in line with what Dr. Borchard has said! I think this plan would probably obtain more sympathy if it were confined to the Pan American States as being a purely Pan American institution at present, with the possibility of embracing European countries later on. I suggest that it be confined at first to the Pan American States.

The CHAIRMAN. I think that was really Dr. Boke's idea.

Mr. BOKE. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Then if the Chair may be permitted, he will state that it is moved that we refer to the general section VI, without recommendation, a suggestion for establishing somewhere in the Americas an international university, or a system of international universities, devoted to the study of law, social polity, trade, and other matters of international character. The question is on agreeing to that motion.

The question was taken and the motion was unanimously agreed to. Gov. BALDWIN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say one word of protest. There were two papers to-day, excellent discussions of the subject, in which the statement was made that the American judge was not looking for principle, that he was looking for precedents, and that the American lawyer is out of place when he spreads before this supposed judge a logical argument; that what he wanted was to go out and find a case on all fours with his case, and the thing was done. I have had a great deal of experience at the bar and a good deal on the bench. I did some work in professional practice in four States, and I was for 17 years on the bench afterwards. I know that as a lawyer I always tried to state the case on principle, and that as a judge I always tried to decide it on principle. That was the foundation on which the structure was reared. I was not alone. According to my experience, that was the general treatment which a case received from the judiciary of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. I never practiced in the Western States or in the Southern States, nor in South America, but I question very much the statement that the ordinary judge in America is looking for precedents more than for principle.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there any further discussion? If not, this concludes the sessions of this subsection, and the subsection stands adjourned.

Thereupon, at 5 o'clock, the subsection adjourned.

GENERAL SESSION OF SECTION VI.

SHOREHAM HOTEL,

Wednesday morning, January 5, 1916.

Chairman, CHARLES NOBLE GREGORY.

PAN AMERICAN CONFERENCE.

General Topic: Pan American Theme, Are there specific American problems of international law?

The session was called to order by the chairman at 10 o'clock. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the congress, ladies and gentlemen, the further session of the conference upon international law is now open, and the chair has pleasure in calling attention to the topic which will be first discussed, How can the people of the American countries best be impressed with the duties and responsibilities of the States in international law? Before taking up the topic the chair desires to say that he has been instructed by the executive committee to receive at the end of the meeting any resolutions that may be offered, and he is further instructed to transmit those resolutions to the executive committee for such action as it may see fit to take. The chair has great pleasure and honor in calling upon His Excellency Señor Dr. Juan de Dios Garcia Kohly, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Cuba to the Netherlands, and also member of the permanent board of arbitration at The Hague, lately at the head of the civil service commission in Cuba, who will address you.

¿CÓMO PUEDE PERSUADIRSE MEJOR A LOS PUEBLOS DE LOS PAÍSES DE AMÉRICA, DE LOS DEBERES Y RESPONSABILIDADES DEL ESTADO EN EL DERECHO INTERNACIONAL?

Por JUAN DE DIOS GARCÍA KOHLY,

Enviado Extraordinario y Ministro Plenipotenciario de Cuba en Holanda. En los países americanos organizados todos sobre la base democrática y en que por consiguiente es el pueblo quien asume y ejercita la soberanía nacional, es de la más alta importancia poner a todos y a cada de sus elementos componentes en condiciones de afrontar de manera consciente los problemas que entrañan deberes y responsabilidades para el Estado.

En ellos, sus gobiernos-tomada esta palabra en su sentido más amplio o sea comprendiendo al poder ejecutivo y legislativo-tienen como primordial misión

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