d a second conference met in
1856. In 1865 the outburst of cholera in the East led to a third
congress at Constantinople. Great Britain opposed treaties for
regulating quarantine, &c., because of the delay which might be caused
to the pursuit of shipping interests. But at last a treaty was made in
1892 at Venice for protection against cholera. Further and more
effective treaties were agreed to by civilized states in 1897 and 1903.
A bureau of information concerning infectious disease was established at
Paris, and commissions to supervise were established in Turkey and
Egypt. With regard to sleeping sickness Great Britain took the
initiative; and a conference met in 1907, in London, at which six
countries were represented. So much with respect to disease; we may now
turn to examples of the joint action of states as regards crime.

The African slave traffic has been dealt with since 1885 (Berlin
Conference) by the European States acting together on certain general
principles. And what is known as the White Slave traffic was the subject
of arrangement between fifteen states in the conference at Paris in
1902.

Again, the reform of prisons and penitentiaries has been much assisted
by international congresses since 1846. The last was held in 1910 in
America, at which twenty-eight states were represented. A secretariat
has been established at Berne for the exchange of expert opinion and for
making suggestions to governments.

These are examples of a very numerous class of reforms undertaken by
the _joint action_ of governments. They are all comparatively recent and
most of the twenty-eight unions between governments for concerted action
have been established during the years of European peace between 1871
and 1914. In these instances the States of Europe have put their
precious sovereignties into their pockets; although the lawyers and
diplomatists explain the situation in the old terms.

With respect to all these movements for social reform three points must
be noticed: first, the initiative in most reform has come from private
enterprise and not from diplomacy or governments. Secondly, this private
interest has spread from the few of one nation to the few of another
before any effective result was attained. Thirdly, the states have not
acted together because of any general theory of international action,
but simply because certain social evils could not be dealt with at all
by any state acting separately. Whatever hampe