500 INTERNATIONAL LAW 



office for the publication of customs tariffs. This office was organ- 

 ized under a convention of July 5, 1890. 



The international geodetic bureau, the headquarters of which is 

 at Berlin, in accordance with the terms of a convention signed in 

 that city October 27, 1886, may also be alluded to. To that con- 

 vention, which is of a more particularly scientific character, may be 

 said to be due the understanding reached between the main observa- 

 tories of the world for photographing the skies in a uniform 

 manner. 



The intellectual ponderings which are at the basis of the geodetic 

 and astronomic conventions, to which we have just referred, are 

 likewise responsible for the signing of an international convention at 

 Brussels, March 15, 1886, for facilitating the exchange of official 

 documents and of scientific and literary publications. In each of 

 the countries which became parties to said convention is found an 

 office charged with assuring such exchange. 



Finally, the conventions relating to industrial rights (patents and 

 trademarks) and to copyright, to which reference has been made 

 above in connection with the evolution of private international 

 law, has likewise resulted in the creation of two permanent offices 

 established at Berne. 



Thus, it is seen, the international administrative instrumentality 

 is in full formation. Although the international offices have been 

 organized until now in a sporadic and scattered manner in many 

 places, it is none the less certain that they already form an imposing 

 whole, and everything presages that new offices will be added to those 

 already established. It is sufficient to draw attention to the exist- 

 ence of the international offices created now without preliminary 

 international conventions: The international colonial office and the 

 international bibliographic office at Brussels, also the international 

 labor office at Berne. To these may be added the permanent offices 

 of a large number of international congresses which evidently are 

 destined to become transmuted into official international bureaus 

 recognized by the governments. 



The establishment of an international court, which we consider 

 as an essential element of the second stage, is also almost an accom- 

 plished fact. Henceforth that court possesses its headquarters and 

 its palace. It virtually exists, though it may not be effective, for 

 a court may be looked upon as existing only if it has judges and 

 a procedure, and if it is permanent and can compel submission to its 

 powers. As it is now organized, the international court is but a 

 court of arbitration, the judges of which are selected by the parties 

 in interest, and the intervention of which is essentially brought 

 about by consent. 



It is certain, however, that, although so organized, the court of 



