But it must not be supposed that these results were reached without difficulty.  Even as regards so comparatively simple a reform as the abolition of the night-work of women—­to be carried out, after considerable ‘delays’ in favour of those countries in which night-work by women had hitherto been an accepted industrial custom—­the adjustment of the change to the varying circumstances of each State proved a delicate business, and agreement could never have been reached but for the willingness of the more backward States to make substantial sacrifices and encounter possible risks.  For this reason, the allowance of some years of grace before adherence to the treaty should become practically binding was a measure almost of necessity.  It would have been unreasonable and might have been cruel to insist on Belgium and Hungary assimilating their practice in such a matter to that of Great Britain without ample time to prepare for the change.  Thirteen States adhered to this treaty.

The difficulties in the white phosphorus case were at first sight even more striking, and, to begin with, only seven States—­Germany, France, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, and Luxemburg—­were signatories of this convention.  Of these, the first five had previously prohibited the use of white phosphorus within their own frontiers.  Room was, however, left for the entry of other States into the convention at a subsequent date, with the result that the scope of the treaty has been gradually extended, and that we now find ourselves fairly within sight of the banishment from manufacture of one of the most deadly of all industrial poisons, and the consequent disappearance of an industrial disease peculiarly dreadful in its nature and symptoms.  The tardy adhesion of the United Kingdom to this treaty remains a matter of regret; but the procedure of the Indian Government and of all the British self-governing dominions in following the mother country when at last she determined to take action has done much to redeem that tardiness.  Obviously, it was the prohibition of the importation and sale of phosphorus matches in India and the Dominions which has forced the Scandinavian and Belgian manufacturers who were opposing complete prohibition to seek for substitutes for white phosphorus.  At the present moment only Japan and Sweden among manufacturing countries stand outside the convention, the United States, whose constitution forbade her to impose prohibition by direct legislation, having brought about the desired result by the imposition of a prohibitive tax.

Is this all? it may be asked.  If the question be of treaties signed, sealed, and ratified, the answer must be ‘Yes’.  On the subject of the night-work of boys and the hours of women and young persons, proposals were actually considered and conventions drafted by an official conference at Berne in 1913.  The draft conventions were far from admirable:  their framers went so far in the spirit of compromise