114 Phytopathological Conference 



President of the Conference at the opening meeting, and M. Louis Dop, 

 the permanent representative of France at the International Agricultural 

 Institute, took a prominent part in the direction of business. The chief 

 credit, however, belongs to the French technical delegates, headed by 

 M. Mangin, whose persistence and readiness in debate, coupled with 

 his fertility in devising expedients for overcoming difficulties, carried all 

 before him. The prominent position occupied by the French delegates 

 in the Council chamber, and the fact that the discussion' was carried 

 on in their native language, and in accordance with the usage of their 

 Parliamentary procedure, no doubt gave them a great advantage over 

 other delegates, an advantage, however, which they never abused. 



As many as 30 States were represented, and the Conference was 

 informed that certain other countries accepted the principle of an 

 International Convention in advance. The only notable sovereign 

 state unrepresented was the United States of America but no 

 delegates were sent by South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or 

 any of the smaller colonies. The instructions given to the three 

 English delegates were simple. We were not authorised of course to 

 commit our country to any binding agreement, but this was the less 

 important because it was made very clear at the beginning of the 

 debate that no delegate had such powers, and that no proposal would 

 be made which would not be submitted for the approval of our Govern- 

 ment through the Foreign Office, for subsequent ratification by pleni- 

 potentiaries appointed for the purpose. We were authorised, however, 

 to accept on behalf of the Board, the principle of a Convention, and 

 to press for three cardinal points : (1) that plants coming from a nursery 

 that had been inspected and found free from important diseases, should 

 be allowed entry if accompanied by an official certificate of health, 

 and that it should not be necessary that each consignment should be 

 specially examined ; (2) that the certificate should specify the diseases 

 for which the nursery had been examined, and (3) that consignments 

 accompanied by the official certificates should not be detained at the 

 frontier for re-examination by the officials of the country of destination. 

 It was thought that if we could secure these points, the hindrances 

 to trade, which had in recent years grown up in so many countries, would 

 be removed, and that a wide field for the development of English 

 commerce in plants would be opened. As events turned out, we had 

 singularly little difficulty in getting these principles conceded. The 

 first two points were pressed for by the delegates of other countries, 

 and were agreed to without opposition, and though the delegates present 



