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426 And the Swiss Federal Council:

M. Charles-Edouard Lardy, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to the President of the French Republic;

Who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions:

Each of the Contracting Governments agrees to establish or designate an authority who will be directed to centralize all information concerning the procuration of women or girls with a view to their debauchery in a foreign country; that authority shall have the right to correspond directly with the similar service established in each of the other Contracting States.

Each of the Governments agrees to exercise a supervision for the purpose of seeking, particularly in the stations, harbors of embarkation and on the journey, the conductors of women or girls intended for debauchery. Instructions shall be sent for that purpose to the officials or to any other qualified persons, in order to procure, within the limits of the laws, all information of a nature to discover a criminal traffic.

The arrival of persons appearing evidently to be the authors, the accomplices or the victims of such a traffic will be notified, in each case, either to the authorities of the place of destination or to the interested diplomatic or consular agents, or to any other competent authorities.

The Governments agree to receive, in each case, within the limits of the laws, the declarations of women and girls of foreign nationality who surrender themselves to prostitution, with a view to establish their identity and their civil status and to ascertain who has induced them to leave their country. The information received will be communicated to the authorities of the country of origin of the said women or girls, with a view to their eventual return.

The Governments agree, within the limits of the laws and as far as possible, to confide temporarily and with a view to their eventual return, the victims of criminal traffic, when they are without any resources, to some institutions of public or private charity or to private individuals furnishing the necessary guaranties.

The Governments agree also, within the limits of the laws and as far as possible, to return to their country of origin such of those women or girls who ask their return or who may be claimed by persons having authority over them. Return will be made only after reaching an understanding as to their