Parliament issued on October 31, 1938, under No. 259 of the Collection of Czechoslovak Laws and Decrees, provides that capital investments employed profitless in prospecting for minerals and mineral oils within the period running from 1938 to 1942 may be deducted from the tax base in assessing the income tax, the general and the special profit tax, if the failure of the prospecting work is evidenced by the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of National Defense. According to the Office of the American Commercial atteche, Prague, the Czechoslovak mining industry, perticularly local coal mines, suffered heavy losses through the transfer of large areas of the country to Germany and Poland. Trẻ purpose of this measure is to encourage prospecting for new mineral resources and the establishment of new mines in Czechoslovakia. It is believed that this tax alleviation will also induce local companies to intensify prospecting for crude petroleum, which was formerly handicapped by the heavy taxes imposed on capital investments made for that purpose.

FRANCE

Restrictions Against Aliens, Decree.

The Office of the American Commercial Attache, Paris, reports that a decree published in the Journal Officiel of October 19, 1938, modifies paragraph 2 of Article 2 of the Decree of May 14, 1938, concerning the documents necessary for the entrance of aliens into France. A translation of the Decree appears below:

Article I, paragraph 2 of Article 2 of the Decree of May 14, 1938, is modified as follows:

Paragraph 2. To be admitted regularly on French soil, every alien must present according to the group to which he belongs by his nationality, one of the following documents:

1st group. Belgian and Luxemburg nationals must be provided with an official identity card with photographs or a valid national passport (or one less than five years out of date). 2nd grout. Nationals of Brazil, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain (including subjects of British oversea territory possessing the rank of "British subjects"), Ireland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, Holland, Portugal, Siam, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay must be provided with a valid and not lapsed national passport at the time of their entry into France, but without consular visa.

Swiss nationals are, however, by exception, when they come to France for less than two months, exempt from presenting a national passport and are authorized to produce only an official Swiss "drivers license" or a passport less than five years out of date the same as the nationals comprised in the first group. 3rd group. The nationals of all other countries which are not enumerated in the two preceding groups must be provided with a valid national passport bearing the French consular visa.

Article II. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of the Interior are charged insofar as each is concerned, with the execution of the present decree, the provisions of which are also applicable to Algeria.

The Ministry of the Interior has also issued the following statement, published in the press:

In execution of Government instructions, the Police services are pursuing at the same time as a series of operations destined to weed out certain alien matters, a policy of clearing out (decongestionnment) of the Paris regent which, save in the case of transit or the specially authorized sojourn, will hereafter be prohibited to new arrivals of foreigners.

The control services at the frontiers have, for several weeks, been considerably reinforced.

Other measures have also been decided upon to assure, in a definitive manner, an absolutely rigorous control on entry on our soil, at the same time there will be taken certain provisions insuring an efficacious protection of our national economy in the face of the foreign element.

From the above statement it appears that immigrants will be forbidden to establish their residence in Paris and its suburbs in the future unless they obtain a special authorization to do so. This measure which is aimed principally at those seeking work or the exercise of a profession in France, is part of a general plan to rid Paris and its suburban areas of aliens who are either undesirable or are likely to compete with French manual or mental workers.

Authorization to foreigners desiring to reside in Paris will be given in special cases or if the residence is temporary. Bona fide tourists are excepted from the ban and they will have no other formality to go through than those already existing, such as the application for an identity card if they intend to remain in France more than two months.

The official statement also speaks of "certain provisions to be taken to insure an efficacious protection of our national economy in the face of the foreign element." This, apparently, refers to a pending Government measure aimed at restricting foreign competition in business and the professions. Recent French press comments suggest that these measures may take the form of a special tax on foreigners exercising a trade or profession in France, but nothing official has been published in this connection.

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

* * *

Contracts, Hire-Purchase Agreements.

It is reported that certain legislation will be introduced in the approaching session of the Union Parliament for the purpose of preventing continued abuses and irregularities in hire-purchase contracts. It is said that the Ministry of Commerce and Industries is at present fabricating a draft of a bill containing the new proposals and several private organizations have also expressed the necessity of legislative reform in this field.

A major point reached by the proposal covers the protection of the purchaser in cases where he has paid one-third of the purchase price and the seller seeks a recovery of the merchandise. It is planned to restrict recovery in these instances by providing that the seller must first obtain a court order which will be granted only after the court has had an opportunity to investigate the matter thoroughly. The court will accordingly be vested with broad, equitable discretion in granting or refusing the request for an order

of sale.

Under the present system it is customary to include in the hirepurchase agreement a clause relieving the principal of liability for

fraudulent or misleading statements made by the agents. The abuse arising out of this situation is at once apparent, as when the purchaser seeks relief, redress against the principal is entirely lacking. It is, therefore, planned to eliminate the many wrongs flowing from a provision of this kind by making the principal accountable for all statements or claims made by his representatives.

The proponents of the legislation direct attention to the fact that there is no intention of interfering with the legitimate hirepurchase contract, but that it will simply protect the purchaser from unscrupulous merchants who oftentimes sieze merchandise after a substantial part of the purchase price has been paid and later seek to hold the buyer liable for the balance under a deficiency judgment.

INSURANCE AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY NOTES

LIFE INSURANCE FOR 1938

New Life Insurance acquired by Americans in 1938 was 16.4 percent less than the amount for 1937, according to a report forwarded on January 29, 1939, by The Association of Life Insurance Presidents to the United States Department of Commerce. The report aggregates the actual new business figures exclusive of revivals, increases and dividend additions of 40 United States companies having 82 percent of the total life insurance outstanding in all United States legal reserve companies.

In December, however, the volume of new life insurance was greater than in any month since December of 1931. With a total of $972,692,000,

the volume for December was 27.2 percent greater than the amount for the corresponding month of 1937. Other months in 1938 showed decreases ranging from 1.5 percent to 28.9 percent in comparison with corresponding months of the preceding year.

All classes contributed to the December increase, according to the report. For the month, the total new business of the reporting companies was $972,692,000 against $764,803,000 an increase of 27.2 percent. New Ordinary Insurance amounted to $657,541,000 against $463,441,000 an increase of 41.9 percent. Industrial Insurance was $223,857,000 against $213,976,000 an increase of 4.6 percent. Group Insurance was $91,294,000 against $87,386,000 an increase of 4.5 percent.

For 1938, the total new life insurance business of the companies was $7,520,499,000 against $8,992,918,000 a decrease of 16.4 percent. Ordinary Insurance totaled $4,867,428,000 against $5,591,842,000 a decrease of 13.0 percent. Industrial Insurance was $2,176,620,000 against $2,640,144,000 - a decrease of 17.6 percent. Group Insurance

was $476,451,000 against $760,932,000

a decrease of 37.4 percent.

*

William S. Culbertson, Colorado Building, Washington, D. C. Edward Schuster, 1 Cedar Street, New York City.

For Term Ending 1940

Frederick K. Beutel, 341 W. Belden Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
John H. Wigmore, 357 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Ill.

For Term Ending 1941

Edward W. Allen, Northern Life Tower, Seattle, Wash.

James Oliver Murdock, 1001 15th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. For Term Ending 1942

John P. Bullington, Esperson Building, Houston, Tex.

James W. Ryan, 99 John Street, New York City.

GENERAL COMMITTEES

ADVISORY: Charles A. Beardsley, Chairman, Central Bank Building, Oakland, Calif.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR WASHINGTON MEETING: Not yet announced.

MEMBERSHIP: John P. Bullington, Chairman, Esperson Building, Houston, Tex.

TEACHING OF INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW: James Oliver Murdock, Chairman, 1001 15th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.

Frederick K. Beutel, Vice-Chairman, 341 W. Belden Avenue, Chicago, Ill.

DIVISION OF COMPARATIVE LAW

Guerra Everett, Division Director,

2540 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D. C.

COMPARATIVE LAW COMMITTEES

MILITARY AND NAVAL LAW: Col. Hugh C. Smith, (U. S. A. Retired), Chairman, 201 Southern Building, Washington, D. C.

SIMPLIFICATION AND UNIFORMITY OF LAWS GOVERNING POWERS OF ATTORNEY AMONG COUNTRIES OF THE PAN AMERICAN UNION: David E. Grant, Chairman, 135 East 42d Street, New York City.

LATIN AMERICAN LAW COMMITTEE: William Cattron Rigby, Chairman, Southern Building, Washington, D. C.

COMPARATIVE LAW RELATING TO THE JURIDICAL STATUS OF WOMEN: Catherine L. Vaux, Chairman, 1524 Buchanan Street, N. W., Washington, D. c. COMMITTEE ON COMPARATIVE LAND LAWS: Heber H. Rice, Chairman, H.O.L.C. Building, Washington, D. C.

SUB-COMMITTEES:

COMPARATIVE LAW OF REAL ESTATE CONVEYANCES: Luke E. Keeley, Chairman, Home Owners' Loan Corporation, Washington, D. C. COMPARATIVE LAW OF CONDEMNATION: Lawrence S. Aspey, Chairman, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C.

COMPARATIVE LAW OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGES: Horace Russell, Chairman, U. S. Building and Loan League, Washington, D. C. COMPARATIVE LAW OF WILLS AND INTESTATE SUCCESSION OF REAL ESTATE: James V. McDermott, Chairman, Home Owners' Loan Corporation, Washington, D. C.

Dr. H. Milton Colvin,

COMPARATIVE HOUSING LAWS:
Works Progress Administration, Washington, D. C.

SUB-COMMITTEES:

General Chairman,

PRIVATELY FINANCED HOUSING: Abner H. Ferguson, Chairman, Federal Housing Administration, Washington, D. C.

PUBLICLY FINANCED HOUSING: Morris Miller, Chairman, U. S. Housing Authority, Washington, D. C.

FOREIGN HOUSING LAWS: Joseph 0. Janousek, Chairman, Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C.

INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW ASPECTS OF AERONAUTICS, SHIPPING, AND TELECOMMUNICATION: Howard S. LeRoy, Chairman, Colorado Building, Washington, D. C.

SUB-COMMITTEES:

AERONAUTICS: Clement L. Bouve,
Washington, D. C.

Chairman, Library of Congress,

SHIPPING: John Tilney Carpenter, Chairman, 70 Pine St., New York City. TELECOMMUNICATION: Francis Colt de Wolf, Chairman, Department of

State, Washington, D. C. INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE: Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

James Grafton Rogers, Chairman,

DIVISION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

Charles Cheney Hyde, Division Director,
Columbia University, New York City.

INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMITTEES

INTERNATIONAL DOUBLE TAXATION: Mitchell B. Carroll,

67 Broad Street, New York City.

INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE COURTS: Not yet announced.

Chairman,

PACIFIC SETTLEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES: Fred K. Nielson, Chairman, The Cairo, Washington, D. C.

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW THROUGH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES: James Brown Scott, Chairman, 700 Jackson Place, Washington, D. C. PUBLICATIONS: Louis G. Caldwell, Chairman, National Press Building, Washington, D. C.

RESTATEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW: William S. Culbertson, Chairman, Colorado Building, Washington, D. C.

Edwin M. Borchard, Vice-Chairman, Yale Law School, New Haven, Conn. REVISION AND CODIFICATION OF UNITES STATES NATIONALITY LAWS: F. Regis Noel, Chairman, 719 15th Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.

LAW RELATING TO PROTECTION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS AND THEIR PROPERTY IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND ON THE HIGH SEAS: James W. Ryan, Chairman, 99 John Street, New York City.

PROPOSED TREATY CONCERNING GREAT LAKES-ST. LAWRENCE DEEP WATERWAY PROJECT: Ralph G. Cornell, Chairman, 831 Noyes Drive, Silver Spring, Md. TREATIES AND AGREEMENTS: Lawrence D. Egbert, Chairman, U. S. Tariff Commission, Washington, D. C.