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396 greater emphasis laid upon preventive work and the establishment of a special department for the discussion of all questions relating to children and minors.

An important feature of these conferences is the large amount of preliminary work that is done in preparation for the quinquennial gathering. The permanent international commission, consisting of eight of the most prominent penologists of Europe, with Dr. Guillaume, of Switzerland, as its efficient secretary, is the organic bridge which unites one congress with the next and gives continuity, unity, and development to the work. This commission has to prepare a programme more than a year in advance. Specialists in all parts of the world are invited to write papers on questions chosen for discussion. The reports for the present congress represented the opinions and experience of two hundred and forty writers, and amounted to twenty-five hundred pages in print. They were all printed in French three months before the opening of the congress, and were sent in advance to the official delegates. Thus every delegate knew beforehand not only the subjects on the programme, but the line of argument which would be advanced and the evidence for and against certain conclusions. Instead of being overloaded by a great mass of papers, the decks were kept clear for discussion. This gave warmth and vivacity to debate. In addition to these reports, the commission secured monographs from many different countries giving facts and statistics in regard to their prison systems. The questions carefully prepared by the commission on which these monographs were framed were uniform throughout, so that the penological student has an opportunity for comparative study not easily secured elsewhere. I am inclined to think that this large amount of preliminary material will prove to be quite as valuable as the proceedings of the congress itself.

Next to the work of the permanent commission, the success of the congress was largely due to the strong official backing and the lavish hospitality of the French Government. The Minister of the Interior, M. Leygues, was the official host. For a year or two in advance M. J. Duflos, the chief director of prison administration in France, aided by his secretaries, had devoted himself to completing arrangements for the congress. This unremitting labor was cordially recognized in the choice of M. Duflos as president. Everything possible was done by the Government to give character and interest to the meeting. The President of the Republic honored the opening occasion by his presence. The Minister of the Interior welcomed it in an admirable address. The College of France was opened for the sessions of the different sections, and the general assembly was held in the amphitheatre of the Sorbonne. Excursions to prison establishments were made,