Variations on "new" notions. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's address to Washington (see our bulletin of 14 February p 6) goes way beyond the kind of exposé designed to demonstrate to the US the meaning, objectives and function of the Convention. This pedagogical aspect is not forgotten and is certainly useful, as the majority of Americans are not even aware of the existence of the Convention (how can we criticise them for it, given the information coming out of Europe itself?) Even Valéry...