In Full Flower 301(from En gland). As its title indicates, it was devoted to comparative law, as
well as to international law.
Four years later, in 1873, came another notable step— or rather pair of
steps— with the founding of two international associations of international
lawyers in that year. Th e fi rst was the Institute of International Law. Leading
fi gures behind its establishment included Francis Lieber from the United
States (originally from Germany) and Gustave Moynier from Switzerland,
who persuaded Rolin- Jaequemyns to summon a conference of international
lawyers. Bluntschli then proposed the establishment of a permanent or ga ni-
za tion, which held its opening meeting in Ghent.
Th e Institute described itself as “an exclusively scientifi c and unoffi cial
association” to encourage the general progress of international law. It met
every second year until 1910, when it shift ed to a program of annual meet-
ings. It was hardly an or ga ni za tion for the masses. Membership was limited
to sixty persons, along with sixty associate members. But professional inter-
national lawyers were not a numerous group in that period. It is noteworthy
that there was no attempt to make the Institute into a bastion of mainstream
positivist thought. On the contrary, Bluntschli was one of the found ers, and
Lorimer, too, was an early and active member. Th e fi rst president was Man-
cini. From its earliest years, the Institute had an important impact, draft ing
studies and reports, as well as adopting resolutions, on various topics of inter-
national law. In 1904, it became an early recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Founded in the very same year as the Institute (1873) was the other prin-
cipal or ga ni za tion, grandly titled the Association for the Reform and Codi-
fi cation of the Laws of Nations. In 1897, it adopted the more modest name of
International Law Association, which it continues to bear. It was a less elite
body than the Institute, with no limits on membership. Its mission was to
educate the general public on international law issues and to mobilize public
support for international law. It also had a somewhat broader subject matter
scope than the Institute, encompassing private as well as public interna-
tional law.
More in the scholarly vein was the Carnegie Institution of Washington,
endowed from the fortune of the Scottish- born American steel magnate
Andrew Carnegie, who was an enthusiast for world peace. It was set up in
1902 to promote research. One of its activities was the sponsorship of the
publication, beginning in 1911, of a series of books entitled Th e Classics of