nationality between the sexes. Extensive reports submitted by various international organizations of women were also circulated. The topic was on the agenda at the request of 15 governments.

On September 27, 1935, the Assembly adopted a Resolution on the Nationality of Women, in which it renewed its 1932 recommendations that governments ratify the Hague Convention, and that the League's Council continue to follow this important problem to determine when further international action would be justified; and asked further that the attention of governments be called to the fact that the Montevideo Convention on nationality of women (December 26, 1933) was open for ratification to all states.

In this resolution, which history now shows to be the closing chapter in the League's separate consideration of equality of nationality between the sexes, the Assembly again took occasion to express formal thanks to the women's organizations for their assistance. (For text of Resolution, see Appendix, p. 40 f.)

Civil and Political Status of Women

The question of study of status of women in all its aspects was given its first consideration in this 16th session of the League Assembly (1935). It had been formally placed on the Agenda at the request of 10 governments. In discussing this subject, the Assembly's First Committee distinguished between "the question of conditions of employment, whether of men or women," deeming this to be "a matter which properly falls within the sphere of the International Labor Organization," and the somewhat different "question of the political and civil status of women."

The latter was decided by the League to be within its jurisdiction. Accordingly, on September 27, the same day that final action was taken on the nationality of women, a separate Resolution was passed on women's civil and political status. (See Appendix, p. 41 f.) This matter was referred to the governments "for their observations, including observations as to the action. which in their view the League might take in the matter," and for information as to the position of women under their existing law. The women's international organizations also were asked

In circulating the reports from the various women's organizations, prior to the meeting of the 16th Assembly, the Secretary-General stated that he did not consider that he could circulate reports presented by organizations solely national in scope; neither could he circulate long reports from certain international organizations that practically were duplicates of the report made by the Committee of Representatives of Women's Organizations ("Women's Consultative Committee on Nationality").

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to present statements to the Assembly. No date was fixed for further consideration of the question by the Assembly, and it was not until 1937 that reports were sufficiently in hand for presentation."

REPORTS ON STATUS OF WOMEN TO LEAGUE'S 18TH ASSEMBLY (1937)

The question of civil and political status of women was on the agenda of the 18th Assembly (1937) at the request of 15 countries. (For list, see Appendix, p. 42.) It again was referred to the First Committee, in which it was extensively discussed by delegates from many countries. The Liaison Committee of Women again, as in 1934, set up a temporary subcommittee to work on this subject.

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During the preceding 2 years, 38 countries from all parts of the world had sent information in regard to the legal status of women. These countries included 24 in Europe, 4 in Asia, 2 in Africa, 7 in America (including the United States and Canada), and the Commonwealth of Australia. The material was reviewed and summarized under the seven headings on which inquiry had been made as to the rights of women:

To have own nationality

To vote in parliamentary elections and be eligible to Parliament

To vote and be eligible for local government posts

For married women to choose own domicile

To guardianship of their children

To work

Regarding property, income, and earnings

The rapporteur for this subject in the First Committee, Mlle. Hesselgren of Sweden, who for 10 years had been a member of

The first collection of data on the status of women throughout the world were collected in 1902, through a list of 28 questions sent to responsible women in various countries by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. At the same time she called the first international conference of women, which met in Washington in February, and the replies to the questions were published in the official report of this conference. This meeting paved the way for a permanent organization, which was established two years later (1904) as the International Woman Suffrage Alliance.

The United States report used in the 1937 League Report referred to here was prepared in the Women's Bureau and subsequently issued as its Bulletin 157, The Legal Status of Women in the United States of America, by Sara Louise Buchanan. It was preceded by summaries of laws in this country issued by the National League of Women Voters. Begun by Mrs. Catherine Waugh McCulloch, Chairman of the League's Committee on Uniform Laws Concerning Women, it was completed by an attorney, Miss Elizabeth Perry, and published in 1924 by Miss Esther Dunshee, then Chairman of the Committee on Legal Status of Women. A further revision, prior to the Women's Bureau study, was made in 1930 by Mrs. Savilla Millis Simons under the direction of Dean S. P. Breckinridge, then Chairman of the League of Women Voters' Committee on Legal Status of Women.

her country's delegation in the League Assembly, stated in summary:

"I need not say that quite apart from juridical niceties, conditions vary greatly in different countries, and therefore the data given must be of a very rough nature. A more concise survey would ask for preparation and analysis by legal experts. These remarks apply to this matter as a whole.

"I am, however, left with the impression of a very great variety and of a growing process of evolution. Many countries are reporting recent or planned changes in their legislation. I also venture to add that the progress made towards complete emancipation of women is more substantial than people generally are aware of." (For the complete report, see Appendix, p. 43 ff.)

LEAGUE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON STATUS OF WOMEN (1937)

The First Committee recommended, and the Assembly passed, a resolution for the establishment by the League of a small committee of experts to determine the outlines of further study of the legal status of women to be conducted through competent scientific institutions. (For text of resolution, see Appendix, p. 49 f.) The League Council appointed to the Committee for the Study of the Legal Status of Women the following, four of whom were among those who had been recommended by the Liaison Committee of Women:

Mr. H. C. Gutteridge, K. C. (United Kingdom) (chosen as Chairman), Professor of Comparative Law at the University of Cambridge.

Mme. Paul Bastid (France), professor in the Faculty of Law of the University of Lyons.

M. de Ruelle (Belgium), Legal Adviser of the Belgian Min-
istry of Foreign Affairs, Member of the Permanent Court
of Arbitration.

Mme. Anka Godjevac (Yugoslavia), Doctor of Law, Technical
Adviser of the Yugoslav Delegation at the Codification
Conference, The Hague (1930).

Mlle. Kirsten Hesselgren (Sweden), Member of the Second
Chamber of the Riksdag, Rapporteur on the Status of
Women to the First Committee of the Assembly (1937).
M. Paul Sebestyen (Hungary), Counselor of Division, Head
of the Treaties Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Miss Dorothy Kenyon (United States of America), Doctor of Law, member of the New York Bar, and legal adviser to a number of national organizations.

The Fourth (finance) Committee of the Assembly voted the sum of 25,000 Swiss francs for the use of the Committee of Experts on Status of Women, specifying that 20,000 francs were to be used for two meetings of the Committee. The first of these meetings was held in April 1938, and at that time representatives of international organizations of women were heard. (For list of organizations appearing, see Appendix, p. 50 f.) In accordance with the recommendation made in the Resolution that created it, the Committee allocated various branches of the study to three competent legal bodies. It asked that a study of women's status at civil law be made by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in Rome; at public law, by the International Institute of Public Law in Paris; and at criminal law, by the International Bureau for the Unification of Penal Law, The Hague.

The Committee of Experts held a second meeting in January 1939 to hear initial reports from these institutes. At a third meeting in July 1939, no report was made, although a report on the legal status of women had been prepared by the International Institute for Unification of Private Law in Rome for consideration by the Committee. World War II interrupted the entire work, but an initial survey of Hindu law, which differs from other systems, had been made for the Committee by a jurist specializing in Indian law, Sir N. Sircar. (See recommendation, p. 91, for continuance under the United Nations of the type of work done by the Committee of Experts on Status of Women.)