LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 121, 28 November 1928, Page 4

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

FINANCIAL BUDGET (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 11th October. Towards the finish of the ninth ordinary session of the Asesmbly of the Lcaguo of Nations the Fourth Committee submitted its report, which dealt with all financial and administrative questions on the agenda, except certain specified exceptions. In the course of an important general discussion the Secretary-General explained that the League's budget differed from national budgets in two essential points. Before being submitted to the Assembly it was considered in every detail by the Secretariat, and then by the Supervisory Commission. Any credit which the Secretary-Gen-eral could not justify in whole or in part was ruthlessly reduced or suppressed by the Supervisory Commission. Secondly, as the Assembly met only once a year, the Secretary.-General was not, like National Governments, able, if necessary, to apply to Parliament for additional credits. Tho total funds voted at one session of the Assembly had to suffice for the continuation of the League work until the, following session. Apart from a small sum of 50,000 francs, the increase of the budget for 1929 over that of 1928 was due to four, items,. one of which was for 330,000, francs for a Conference on the Codification of International Law, and another 300,000 francs had been added to the budget of the Economic and Financial Organisation to cover fresh work, decided upon and ratified. In the course of the discussion the Committee, generally speaking, held that it would be well to stabilise progressively tho budgets of the various technical organisations of the League, but expressed a doubt as to the possibility of fixing a rigid maximum for the whole budget of so young an institution as the League. The .following resolution was ultimately adopted: "The Fourth Committee, having examined the draft budget for 1929 and noted the rapid increasein the credits demanded, which at present represents about 6 per cent, as compared with the 1928 budget, draws the special attention of the other Assembly Committees to this position at the moment when they are about to consider the work contemplated for the! League, and asks them to bear in mind tho necessity for a reasonable limitation of the expenditure of the Lcaguo." The original budget for 1922 was for 26,869,244 Swiss francs. As modified and approved by the Fourth Committee, it was left at 27,026,280, i against 25,333,817 in the previous year. <