International

U. S. Minister to Switzerland Hugh Robert Wilson last week signed for the U. S., at Berne, one more supplementary agreement to the multilateral trade convention of 1927 to do away with multifold prohibitions and tariff restrictions which the warring nations set up against each other in 1914-1918. The U. S. was the twenty-eighth and last nation finally to sign the new agreement. The agreement was a list of exceptions. It specified a few remaining articles of commerce which it was agreed might still be subjected to prohibitions and restrictions by the various nations. It was agreed that Chile, for example, might continue temporarily to exercise governmental control over her imports of scrap iron and scrap zinc, and over the importation of hares. Portugal retained temporary control of her fine wool and raw cork exports. Bulgaria chose to guard her exports of rose trees, roots, shoots; Sweden, her scrap iron; Czechoslovakia, her hop shoots.

It was agreed that, because international trade would not be greatly affected, Czechoslovakia may permanently reserve the right to prohibit or restrict the exportation of quartzite; Portugal, the exportation of pine resin.

The only U. S. product over which the U. S. chose to retain its right of export restriction was helium gas. Helium, unplentiful in nature, is the non-inflammable dirigible-filler; the beneficent mixing gas to save divers from the "bends."