THE IMMEDIATE PRELIMINARIES OF THE CONVENTION 
95 
This was done : and we shall see that the French Govern- 
ment followed the advice.* 
The invitation gave rise to a lively exchange of notes,^ 
as is only natural considering the departure in part from the 
tendency which had aimed at the propagation of the „ Declar- 
ation" of 1875. Germany and Italy as well made declarations 
on this point. The real state of things was that only Switzer- 
land and France =^ had decidedly endorsed the „Declaration" 
of 1875, in consequence of the propaganda made in 1876, 
in the time of Count Gyula Andrassy and Visconti Venosta; 
while Switzerland had long ago proposed an international 
conference without achieving any result. France seemed to 
all appearances to be ignoring the preliminaries and starting 
a new action as it were. 
The circumstantial nature of diplomacy was responsible 
for the protraction of uncertainty until 1895, on April 15 of 1895. 
which year the French Government was able to renew its 
invitation to meet in the following June. By this the first 
Paris International Conference for the discussion of bird- 
protection had become a „fait accompli".* 
Just before the opening of the Conference the Austro- 
Hungarian Foreign Ministry confidentially informed the Hun- 
garian Ministry of the attitude the Italian Government intended 
to adopt at the Conference.'^ 
' Min. Pub. Instr. No. 25,439 (June 17, 1893) ; Min. Agr. No. 26,447, 
16,676 and 27,144 (1893). 
- For. Min. No. 11,131/11 (Apr. 4, 1893); No. 18,050/11 (May 5 
1894); No. 44,942/11 (1894); Hung. Min. Agr. No. 77,420/VlI/la (Dec. 24, 
1894); For. Min. No. 53,244/11 (1895); No. 15,876/11 (Apr. 17, 1895); 
Hung Min. Agr. No. 20,563/VII/l a (Apr. 26, 1895). 
V. the chapter on „ Developments" (1876). 
* For. Min. No 24,308/11. June 10, 1895. 
' For. Min. No. 23,782/11. June 14, 1895. 
