The Hague Conference on Private International Law held its Ninth session from October 5 to October 26, 1960. The Governments of eighteen member states, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Western Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia sent delegations. Ireland and Turkey, member states, were not represented. From the United States, an Observer Delegation took part in the session.' The principal result of the Ninth session is the elaboration of three new international conventions: a convention abolishing the requirements of legalization for foreign public documents; a convention on the conflict of laws relating to the form of testamentary dispositions; and a convention concerning the powers of authorities and the law applicable in respect of the protection of infants.2 Other results which also deserve attention will be noted after a summary discussion of the three conventions. (1) The convention designed to abolish requirements of diplomatic or consular legalization for foreign public documents creates a new type of certificate, an apostille, the only formality required to certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted, and the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears. Each contracting state will designate the authorities competent to issue the certificate. The latter is in the form of a square with sides at least nine centimeters long. A model is annexed to the convention. The convention was adopted unanimously with two abstentions (Belgium and Yugoslavia). The strict old-type requirements of legalization of official documents still insisted upon in many countries have been a nuisance to all concerned, except possibly the local treasuries. Use of simpler methods commends itself. If the convention is ratified, as may be expected, the