These conversations had originally in view the internment of Officers and N.C.Os. only. It was not till May, 1915, that the men came also into question. At that date, le Comte Charles Santucci, Envoy of the Holy See, submitted a project to the Federal Council at Berne suggesting that the scope of the internment should be broadened, so as to include all ranks, whether Officers, N.C.Os., or men; and not only the tuberculous, but numerous other categories of sick and wounded. He had in view always an equal number of either side. The Council declared its readiness to devote itself to the realization of this enlarged programme, and thereupon opened negotiations with the interested Governments. These were both long and delicate. The first difficulty which presented itself concerned the guardianship of the Interned. The Council were averse to the immobilization of a part of their forces for that purpose, and asked what guarantee the captor State would have that its prisoners would not seek an early opportunity for escape. This difficulty was settled by the Council, who made the proposal that the belligerent States should agree to return to Switzerland all prisoners of war who might escape to their own countries, and a settlement was agreed upon in this sense. The next point for decision was as to the numbers of the Interned; on what basis was this to be established? Should it be on the principle of rank for rank and head for head, or be based on categories of disablement without regard to equality of number? France showed itself favourable to the latter principle, Germany to the former. It was only in the month of October, 1915, that Germany declared itself in accord with the project for internment, but refused to admit the principle of categories, and maintained its view as regards the equality of numbers. In November, Mgr. Marchetti, Delegate of the Holy See, with a view to inspiring confidence in Germany in the principle of the categories, intervened with the proposal that neutral Commissions of medical officers should proceed to the camps and be made responsible for the selection of the prisoners for internment. At last, in December, an agreement was reached between Switzerland, France, and Germany, whereby the principle of categories without regard to equality of numbers was accepted. The establishment of neutral Commissions of medical officers was also agreed upon. At the end of December, Monsieur Hoffmann, then President of the Swiss Confederation, posed the question of the internment of civilians, and made a proposition in this sense which was favourably received.