DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1948

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1948 Session I, A-01

A—l

1948 NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1948

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave

By Authority E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l94B.

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION— Page 1. Scope of the Report ... ... ... ... 7 2. Organization of the Department ... ... 7 3. Information and Publicity ... ... ... 9 4. Treaty LIST ... ... ... ... ... 10 5. External Affairs Committee ... ... ... 10 THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 11 2. New Zealand and the Statute of Westminster ... 12 3. India and Pakistan ... ... ... ... 13 4. India and South Africa ... ... ... 14 5. Australian - New Zealand Relations ... ... 16 THE PACIFIC—1. South Pacific Commission ... ... ... 17 2. Relations with British Pacific Administrations ... IB THE FAR EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 19 2. Japanese Peace Settlement ... ... ... 20 3. Far Eastern Commission ... ... ... 21 4. Allied Council for Japan ... ... ... 22 5. Japanese Affairs generally—(a) Antarctic Whaling Expedition ... ... 22 (b) New Zealand Government Trade Representative in Japan ... ... ... ... 23 6. Korea ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 7. Regional Co-operation in South-east Asia ... 26 EUROPE—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 27 2. European Recovery and "Western Union" ... 28 3. German and Austrian Settlements ... ... 28 4. Reparations Conference ... ... ... 29 5. Peace Settlements with Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland—(a) Trieste and Treaty Revision ... ... 30 (;b) Human Rights Clauses and Treaty Supervision... 31 (c) Former Italian Colonies ... ... ... 32 6. Greece ... ... ... ... ... ... 32 7. Spain ... ... ... ... ... ... 35

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THE MIDDLE EAST— Page 1. Palestine ... ... ... ... ... 36 2. Former Italian Colonies ... ... ... 39 THE UNITED NATIONS—1. The General Assembly ... ... ... ... 39 (A) Second Regular Session of the General Assembly— First Committee—1. Measures to be taken against Propaganda and the Inciters of a New War ... 41 2. Voting in the Security Council (" The Veto") 42 3. Admission of New Members ... 44 Second and Third Committees ... ... 45 Fourth Committee—1. Report of the Trusteeship Council ... 46 2. Proposed Trusteeship Agreements ... 47 3. Trusteeship for Non - self - governing Territories ... ... ... 48 4. Information from Non - self - governing Territories ... ... ... 48 Fifth Committee—1. Budget ... ... ... ... 50 2. Scale of Contributions ... ... 50 3. Cost of holding the Third Regular Session in Europe ... ... ... 50 4. Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations ... ... ... 51 5. Taxation Equalization ... ... 51 6. International Meetings ... ... 51 Sixth Committee—1. Progressive Development of International Law and its Codification ... 52 2. The Crime of Genocide ... ... 52 3. United Nations Day and United Nations Flag ... ... ... ... 53 4. Surrender of War Criminals, Traitors, and Quislings ... ... ... 53 5. Need for Greater Use of International Court of Justice ... ... 53 6. Agreement concerning the Headquarters of the United Nations ... ... 53 Ad Hoc Committee on Palestine ... ... 54

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THE UNITED NATIONS —continued Page 1. The General Assembly—continued (B) Interim Committee of the General Assembly ("Little Assembly") ... ... 54 {a) Voting in the Security Council ("The Veto ") 55 (ib) Principles of International Co-operation 56 (c) Future of the Interim Committee ... 56 2. The Security Council ... ... ... ... 56 3. The Economic and Social Council—(a) Economic and Social Council ... ... 58 (b) Social Commission ... ... ... ... 64 (c) Fiscal Commission ... ... ... ... 66 (d) Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East 66 (e) Freedom of Information Conference ... ... 67 4. The Trusteeship Council ... ... ... 70 5. International Court of Justice ... ... ... 71 6. Subsidiary Organs ... ... ... ... 73 MISCELLANEOUS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS—1. International Trade Organization ... ... 74 2. International Labour Organization ... ... 75 3. International Civil Aviation ... ... ... 77 4. Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization... ... ... ... ... 79 5. Universal Postal Union ... ... ... 80 6. International Telecommunications Union ... 80 7. UNESCO ... ... 80 8. World Health Organization ... ... ... 82 9. Food and Agriculture Organization ... ... 83 10. International Emergency Food Council ... ... 85 11. International Wheat Council ... ... ... 85 12. UNRRA... ... ... 86 13. International Children's Emergency Fund ... 87 14. United Nations Appeal for Children ... ... 88 15. International Refugee Organization ... ... 89

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NEW ZEALAND'S REPRESENTATION OVERSEAS— Page, 1. General ... ... ... ... ... 91 2. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, United Kingdom .... ... ... 91 3. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Canada... ... ... ... ... 95 4. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Australia ... ... ... ... 97 5. New Zealand Legation, U.5.5.R.... ... ... 99 6. New Zealand Legation, U.S.A. ... ... ... 100 7. Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations, New York ... ... ... 101 8. New Zealand Consulate-General, New York ... 102. OVERSEAS REPRESENTATION IN NEW ZEALAND... APPENDICES—1. Agreements concluded between New Zealand and other Countries, 1 April, 1947, to 31 March, 1948 10S 2. International Conferences at which New Zealand was represented, 1 April, 1947, to 31 March, 1948 109 3. Publications of the Department of External Affairs ... ... ... ... ... 115

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DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1948 INTRODUCTION 1. Scope of the Report This report is a record of the actions of the Government and the Department in the field of external affairs during the period between 1 April, 1947, and 31 March, 1948. Its aim is to give sufficient information to enable these actions to be judged in their setting; it is not in itself a survey of nor commentary upon the international situation. The report deals summarily with any topic which has already been the subject of special report to Parliament, but opportunity has been taken to record in more detail those topics which have not otherwise been brought to Parliament's attention. Since, moreover, many important matters are barely mentioned or ignored completely because the Government was not called to take a position on them, the space given to a subject is not necessarily an index to its importance. 2. Organization of the Department The annual report for 1946-47, being the first, sketched the history of the Department, from its beginnings in 1926 as the Imperial Affairs Section of the Prime Minister's Department to its establishment, under the provisions" of the External Affairs Act, 1943, for the purpose of co-ordinating and conducting New Zealand's ever-expanding relations with the other members of the ■Commonwealth, with foreign Governments, and with international organizations. The last report noted also that New Zealand's interest and responsibilities in the field of external affairs had continued to increase with the expansion of intra-Commonwealth consultations, the preparatory work involved in the peace settlements, and the enormous expansion of the area of international co-operation. Though the report deals essentially with the Department of External Affairs, there is in fact no clear line between this and the Prime Minister's Department. The Prime Minister is also Minister of External Affairs, and his two Departments, for the economy of both, are run as one. The Secretary of External Affairs is also the Permanent Head of the Prime Minister's Department; the Assistant Secretary is Secretary to the Cabinet and to the Council of Defence. The staff of the Departments is held in common, and, though some -officers are engaged on work peculiar to one Department, the work -of the majority involves both.

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Much co-ordination between Government Departments is arranged by the Prime Minister's Department and the Cabinet Secretariat (through which the Prime Minister ensures the co-ordination of governmental action), and by the Department of External Affairs (through which the internal application of the Government's external policy is secured). Close co-operation with other Departments in such matters as international economic and commercial policy is essential. In particular, the necessity for complete harmony between foreign and defence intelligence and policies is recognized by the Government; an officer of the Department is associated with all aspects of the work of the top-level Service Committees. Proposals are at present under consideration for extending and consolidating this liaison. To ensure co-ordination in New Zealand's outside relations the Ministry of External Affairs is used as the channel of communication between the New Zealand Government and overseas Governments or organizations and between the Government and its Diplomatic Ministers, High Commissioners, and Consuls overseas. The Department is thus a clearing-house and co-ordinating centre for a wide range of material, which in certain cases is passed on for detailed action to the appropriate Departments. In the case of such technical bodies as UNESCO, FAO, and the World Health Organization, in their formative stages when the problems raised were mainly in the field of international organization and procedure and higher policy, it has been necessary for the Department to take a large measure of responsibility. The great increase in the volume of New Zealand's international relations and responsibilities throws a heavy strain on a staff which has deliberately been kept as small as possible and built up carefully. Of the total staff of the joint Prime Minister's and External Affairs Departments, fewer than twenty are actually engaged in working upon the problems of external affairs recorded in this report. It will therefore be apparent that the Department's resources are spread thinly over a wide field. Two diplomatic secretaries have been added to the staff during the year, but this does not fully meet the needs of the Department, nor does it provide a pool which can be drawn upon to augment the staffs of New Zealand's existing posts abroad. Appendix 2 lists the international conferences at which New Zealand was represented during the year. For certain conferences, especially those of a technical nature, officials drawn from various Government Departments were sent from New Zealand. By sending such specialists New Zealand makes a better contribution to international co-operation upon such technical questions as health

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or aviation or agriculture ; in addition, New Zealand gains more, because the officer who returns has a better idea of the implications for this country of the discussions and is well placed to apply his experience. For a member of the staff of a New Zealand post to attend a technical conference is often less satisfactory, however good his report might be. Nevertheless, considerable apparent economies have resulted from using the staff of overseas posts in this way (as can readily be seen from Appendix 2), and the practice will necessarily continue. The introduction to the section on New Zealand's representation overseas mentions this subject from the point of view of the welfare and efficiency of the posts and their staffs. The section on the United Nations, moreover, notes that New Zealand has done what she can to reduce the number of international conferences; this, however, is not always an easy position to take because increasing international co-operation, which is to be encouraged, is normally reflected in more conferences and international bodies. New Zealand has, moreover, declined to attend many conferences or to be represented on many international organizations and committees, or to encourage her representatives to take high offices at international conferences when to do so would be to reduce the effective strength of the invariably small delegations. Among the factors weighed before any invitation is accepted are the contribution New Zealand can make, the possible value to this country, and the effect on administration in New Zealand of detaching an officer for the purpose. It should be noted that the travel fares of delegates to the General Assembly and certain other organs of the United Nations are paid by the United Nations. 3. Information and Publicity The Department ensures that New Zealand's representatives abroad are adequately informed of the Government's actions or expressed opinions upon questions of external affairs, and also that they receive newspaper clippings on all important questions, a regular factual record of events, and background articles on happenings in New Zealand. The individual accounts of the work of the overseas posts, contained later in this report, note the way they are working to spread information about New Zealand. In co-operation with the Prime Minister's Information Section (and hence with the National Film Unit and the National Publicity Studios), the Department attempts to supply the ever-increasing demand from the posts for films, photographs, film strips, posters, and displays. The material must be varied enough to attract and give appropriate information to tourists and potential emigrants, and to answer the inquiries of

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students and workers in learned institutions. The Department does; not attempt to anticipate all inquiries, and often merely ensures that the information officer at the post has the facts, leaving it to him to deal with the needs of the individual inquirer. In order that inquiries may be met, and in order, also, that New Zealand officers abroad may be kept in touch with the life of their country, the libraries of overseas posts are carefully maintained by the Department and regularly supplied with worthwhile New Zealand' literature and scientific and technical publications. The Department continues to publish, for the information of Parliament and the public, reports of New Zealand delegations to international conferences, treaties to which New Zealand is a party,, and the text of important international documents affecting New Zealand. 4. Treaty List Since 1943 the Department has been working to bridge a gap in the source material on New Zealand's external relations—the lack of any record of New Zealand's formal treaty obligations and commitments. This complicated task has now been virtually completed,, and a list of international agreements affecting New Zealand is with the printer. A prefatory note to the Treaty List explains the particular way in which New Zealand became bound by the treaties (some of which are very old). Appendix 1 of the annual report lists the treaties which the New Zealand Government have signed or ratified during the year. This list will be continued each year as an essential supplement to the Treaty List. 5. External Affairs Committee On 23 September, 1947, the House of Representatives ordered the appointment of a Select Committee, consisting of nine members,, to consider matters relating to external and Commonwealth affairs which might be referred to it by the House or the Government. The Committee consisted of nine members : the Prime Minister,, the Leader of the Opposition, Messrs. R. M. Algie, P. G. Connolly,. F. W. Doidge, J. Mathison, M. Moohan, Right Hon. W. Nash, and Mr. T. C. Webb. As a matter of convenience the Committee's Secretariat was drawn from the Department of External Affairs. The House referred to the Committee, and the Committee reported upon, the question of New Zealand policy towards the Japanese peace settlement. The Government directed the Committee's attention to the question of Palestine. Many other topics arose in the course of the Committee's deliberations. At its first meeting;

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the Prime Minister offered the Committee access to a wide range •of , the Department's documents on questions under consideration. The Department gave some thought to the form of documentation which would be most convenient to members. In the case of the Japanese and German peace settlements, where vast documentation is involved, guides to the chief documents were prepared; in other cases copies of documents were distributed, or summaries were made of much scattered material. An attempt was made to supply information on any matters raised in the Committee. On 6 February, 1948, the Committee met to hear and discuss reports from the New Zealand Ministers to the U.S.A. (Sir Carl Berendsen) and to the U.S.S.R. (Mr. C. W. Boswell). THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH 1. General Co-operation in imperial defence, and in the system of Imperial economic preferences, and special nationality and citizenship arrangements, are among the many outward evidences of New Zealand's association with the members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. But perhaps the most fundamental is her participation in the comprehensive exchange of information and continuous consultation among members. While this exchange still centres largely round the United Kingdom, it is becoming many-sided as the Dominions develop their own foreign services, so that on some important questions every member of the Commonwealth knows the views of every other member. The New Zealand Government have constantly sought to develop this full intra-Commonwealth consultation. Again this year various sections of the report show the system of consultation in action—the daily activities of the High Commissioners' offices, the contacts between Government Departments, including the Service Departments (made directly instead of through the Foreign Office, which is customarily the sole channel of communication between Sovereign countries), the regular meetings of High Commissioners with Cabinet Ministers in London, the close contacts in foreign capitals between Commonwealth diplomatic representatives (all of whom are appointed in the name of the King), and the occasional high level meetings like that at Canberra, recorded elsewhere in this report, to discuss the peace settlement with Japan. There was not, in the year under review, a meeting of Prime Ministers, -though such a meeting, to discuss many grave post-war issues, is in prospect.

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The enlargement of the group of Commonwealth members by three—lndia, Pakistan, and Ceylon—raised a number of practical questions, mainly concerning the mechanics of consultation. The principle had long been acknowledged that membership of the Commonwealth would be open to India when she achieved selfgovernment, and little prior consultation, upon the admission of India and Pakistan took place among the members of the Commonwealth. Upon Ceylon's entry consultation was necessarily more detailed, especially among the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, who were most directly concerned and whose range of obligations must ultimately be extended by the admission of Ceylon to the full Commonwealth association. The New Zealand Government made clear their willingness to give their full co-operation to these three new members of the Commonwealth. In February of 1948 it was possible for New Zealand to be represented at the impressive ceremonies which marked Ceylon's attainment of full self-government. The members of the British Commonwealth have never found it necessary to provide machinery to deal with possible disputes between them. At the same time, despite their separate membership of international bodies, it has been the practice to regard Dominions' relations inter se as being of a special " family " nature and as such not the concern of the international community. This conception has, however, become increasingly difficult to maintain; and it was with considerable embarrassment that the Government saw two disputes between members of the Commonwealth brought before the United Nations. Upon one, which was considered by the General Assembly, New Zealand, as a member of the United Nations, could not avoid taking a position ; but that position was one of endeavouring to ensure that the claims of both parties were fairly examined in as impartial an atmosphere as possible. The facts of these two casesare noted below. 2. New Zealand and the Statute of Westminster In November, 1947, the New Zealand Parliament, without division,, adopted sections 2 to 6 of the Statute of Westminster, 1931, and also consented to and requested the adoption by the Imperial Parliament of legislation enabling New Zealand to amend its Constitution. The Imperial Parliament legislated accordingly in December, 1947. This legislation did not affect New Zealand's practical standing in Commonwealth and world affairs, since New Zealand practice had for many years been in advance of the legal forms : the legal subordination of the New Zealand Parliament to the Parliament of the

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United Kingdom was of little practical effect because successive Governments had availed themselves of the flexibility of the common law and the King's prerogative (foreign affairs being within the prerogative). Nor did adoption of the statute affect the Government's desire, shared by the country as a whole, to remain closely associated with other members of the Commonwealth. The chief effects of the adoption of the statute and the enactment by the United Kingdom Parliament of the New Zealand Constitution (Amendment) Act were to give the New Zealand Parliament full legislative capacity by freeing it from the legislative restrictions imposed by certain anachronistic United Kingdom statutes, and to clarify New Zealand's international status in the eyes of foreign countries. A parliamentary paper (A-13, 1947) outlines the purpose and effect of the adoption of the Statute of Westminster and the Constitution Amendment Bill. 3. India and Pakistan The attainment of independence by India and Pakistan, and their decision to exercise that independence within the British Commonwealth, were among the outstanding events of the year. As a member of the Commonwealth, New Zealand was directly concerned in the events leading up to these decisions ; to enlarge the group of Dominions is to increase the duties and privileges of all existing members, and it was necessary to consider the consequences of such enlargement. Even before the partition took place the Prime Minister made it clear that the New Zealand Government would welcome a continuation of their association with India on this new basis, and he expressed the view, based on New Zealand's experience, that a member of the Commonwealth possesses all the benefits of full independence plus the many additional advantages which come from sharing in a free and powerful association of States. But whether the people of India chose to remain inside or to leave the Commonwealth, the Prime Minister assured them of New Zealand's friendship and goodwill. Owing to the inevitable disorganization attending the establishment of the two new Dominions and the desire of the New Zealand Government to avoid any rapid expansion of representation overseas, it has not been possible to establish with India and Pakistan the full measure of consultation and exchange of information that exists between New Zealand and some of the other members of the Commonwealth. It is, however, the Government's policy, as fellow-members of the Commonwealth, to enter into relations with India and Pakistan whenever opportunity offers.

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:••• The unhappy differences which have arisen between the two new Dominions have been. followed with sympathy and concern. At the time of tension during the mass migrations and rioting in the Punjab in the first few weeks after the partition, the United Kingdom and the older Dominions were asked by Pakistan to consider whether any assistance could be given the new Governments in their negotiations. The New Zealand Government were willing to offer any help within the country's capacity if Pakistan and India both desired it, but they felt it to be unlikely that at that time outside intervention would be a substitute for or would even promote the good will and patient discussion between the two Governments which they felt to be indispensable for a securely based settlement. In the last few months of 1947 differences between the two new Dominions came into the arena of the United Nations. The activities in Kashmir of Pathan raiders from the North-west Frontier moved India to appeal to the Security Council, and the Pakistan Government, whom India blamed for having allowed the raiders to cross parts of their territory in which they could reasonably be expected to maintain effective control, brought before the Security Council not only the whole question of the accession of Kashmir to India, but also all outstanding differences between the two Dominions. On 20 January the Council adopted a resolution setting up a three-nation commission to study the situation in Kashmir and to proceed later to a consideration of other points in dispute. India nominated Czechoslovakia to represent her on the Commission, but no further action had been taken at the end of the period under review, and the matter was still under active discussion in the Security Council. New Zealand, who is not represented on the Council, has not been directly involved in this phase of the controversy, but the Department has followed the detailed Security Council discussions carefully. 4. India and South Africa New Zealand was placed in a difficult position when another controversy between two members of the Commonwealth—lndia and South Africa—was taken to the United Nations. During its 1946 session the General Assembly, after lengthy discussion of the complaint by India against the treatment of Indians in South Africa, had expressed the opinion that the treatment of Indians -should be in conformity with the terms of the agreements concluded between the two Governments and with the relevant provisions of the Charter, and requested the two Governments to report to the next General Assembly on the measures adopted to accomplish this end. The reports submitted by the two Governments in September, 1947, revealed that, in spite of several attempts at

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negotiation, the situation had, if anything, become more serious. The Government of India alleged that the Union Government had completely ignored the General Assembly resolution, while the South African Government made it clear that they still considered the whole question as essentially one of domestic jurisdiction. The Assembly was thus confronted (as at the last session) with two main issues ; whether the racial policies of the South African Government contravened the provisions of the Charter dealing with fundamental rights and freedoms, and whether there existed between India and South Africa international engagements of a kind to invalidate the plea of the South African Government that the treatment of Indians in South Africa was a matter essentially of domestic jurisdiction. On the racial discrimination question South Africa denied that their legislation infringed upon fundamental human rights ; it was based not upon racial superiority or inferiority, but on racial distinction. A majority of speakers, however, contended that the Union Government had been guilty of discriminatory legislation, and delegates from the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia compared this discrimination to that which had existed in Nazi Germany. In a speech notable for its moderation (and in this connection it may be mentioned that the whole debate was less emotional in tone than last year's discussions) Sir Zafrullah Khan (Pakistan) stated that the South African representative had confused measures for the protection of minorities with discriminatory measures. A majority of the Committee were of the opinion that the matter was not one essentially of domestic jurisdiction since the situation had acquired definite international significance. The New Zealand representative said he did not wish to intervene on behalf of either India or South Africa; he took the view (which was shared by a number of speakers) that the matter to be decided involved complex legal problems which it was the clear duty of the Assembly to refer to the International Court of Justice. For this reason New Zealand opposed adoption of the Indian resolution, which requested the two Governments to discuss the treatment of Indians at a round-table conference without delay, and invited Pakistan to take part in these discussions. This resolution was adopted by the Committee, but in the Assembly it failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority. An alternative resolution, which New Zealand supported, proposed the submission of the entire question to the International Court of Justice should the two parties fail to reach an agreement through direct negotiations. As this was also rejected the final position was that the Assembly adopted no resolution on the subject.

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5. Australian - New Zealand Relations The bonds between Australia and New Zealand are at once as necessary and as strong as at no previous time in the short history of the two countries. They are necessary because both countries face common problems in the same geographical area, both, as the war showed, have almost the same strategic problems, and both, being within the orbit of the sterling area, have similar economic problems. They are strong because of the similarity of policy on essential matters of external affairs, because of frequent interchange of information and opinion and because of a fundamental respect for the other's point of view. The domestic needs and obligations of each country are sufficient to ensure individuality in external policy. But the external factors which shape the foreign policies of both countries bear with equal stress upon each and frequently evoke similar responses. Both countries will look with disquiet towards Japan for many years, both have island peoples entrusted to their care, and both are closely bound by ties of race and tradition to the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth. The governmental machinery by which collaboration and consultation is facilitated is to be found on three levels, which were outlined in the Australian - New Zealand Agreement of January, 1944. At the top, by the method of Ministerial visits and consultations ; next, on a departmental level through the liaison of experts in all branches of administration; and, lastly, in respect, principally, of external policy through the daily functioning of the Australian - New Zealand Secretariats in the Departments of External Affairs at Canberra and Wellington. The New Zealand Government is represented in Australia by the High Commissioner in Canberra, and in matters of trade, travel, and publicity by the Trade Commissioners and Travel Managers in Sydney and Melbourne. The Australian Government have similar representation in Wellington. Representatives of the defence forces have been exchanged and, in regard to civil aviation, both Governments are directly interested in the functioning of Tasman Empire Airways and British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines. The international responsibilities which are entailed for New Zealand and Australia by their membership of United Nations emphasize the need for such collaboration. In the General Assembly and the Security Council it remains necessary to uphold the rights of smaller nations. In Trusteeship Council decisions New Zealand and Australia, as the administering authorities most recently developed from colonial status, can speak with a voice likely to be acceptable to both administering and non-administering powers. In the

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Economic and Social Council New Zealand and Australia can make a useful contribution by drawing on the experience of the progressive social systems which they have evolved. THE PACIFIC 1. South Pacific Commission The movement towards co-operation in the South Pacific, its possible scope and methods, and the benefits and economies which successful collaboration might ensure to the peoples and Governments of the region, were set down in some detail in last year's annual report. The Agreement establishing the South Pacific Commission was signed at Canberra in February, 1947, by representatives of the six Governments which administer non-self-governing territories in the South Pacific area; its text was included in Departmental Publication No. 26. Preliminary arrangements for the establishment of the Commission pending ratification by the signatory Powers were entrusted to the sponsoring Governments of New Zealand and Australia. In April, 1947, an Interim Organization was set up in Sydney with Mr. John Kerr, Principal of the Australian School of Pacific Administration, as Organizing Secretary. The New Zealand Government appointed an officer of the Department of External Affairs as their representative, and he was engaged for four months in this capacity at Sydney. A small staff, including an officer seconded from the Australian Department of External Affairs, carried out much of the preliminary organizational work which had to be accomplished before the first session of the Commission. Offices for the Interim Organization were obtained at Middlehead, Sydney, in a wing of the School of Pacific Administration, and office equipment was purchased. A small library was assembled, and critical studies made of the work of the Caribbean Commission, a regional body with objectives similar to those of the South Pacific Commission. The Caribbean Commission has been in existence for the past two years, and much valuable information was obtained from this precedent, particularly as the result of a report made by an officer of the Australian Department of External Affairs who visited the Caribbean region. Unforeseen delay in holding the first session of the Commission is attributable to the failure of signatory Governments speedily to ratify the Agreement. By June, 1947, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australian Governments had accepted the Agreement,

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and thereafter both the New Zealand and Australian Governments endeavoured, through diplomatic channels, to hasten ratification by the United States, French, and Netherlands Governments. The United States accepted the Agreement in January, 1948, and assurances were given by the French and Netherlands Governments that ratification could be expected at an early date. A preparatory Conference of representatives of the signatory Governments was convened in Sydney at the invitation of the Australian and New Zealand Governments in November, 1947. The purpose of this meeting was to exchange information and views on the terms and conditions of appointment of a Secretary-General, to draw up an agenda and rules of procedure for the first meeting of the Commission, and to survey the work of the Interim Organization. As a result of this Conference and of the obvious desire of all Governments to see the Commission functioning as soon as possible, it was arranged that the first session of the Commission should be convened in Sydney from 11-22 May. It is planned that this meeting should set the conditions of appointment of the senior officers, discuss the site for a permanent headquarters of the Commission, draw up the Commission's programme of work and establish priorities for its execution, and set up a Working Committee representative of all member Governments to enable the Commission to carry out its functions between sessions. 2. Relations with British South Pacific Administrations A continuous exchange of correspondence on a wide variety of subjects is carried on with the Government of Fiji, the Western Pacific High Commission, and the Government of Tonga. Within the limits of the New Zealand Government's resources, an endeavour is made to ensure that assistance is given to these Administrations, many of whose problems have something in common with those of New Zealand's own island dependencies. Co-operation is not lacking on either side, and in matters of aviation, health, immigration, and trade consultation between the New Zealand Government and the Administrations concerned is of frequent occurrence. With the active establishment of the South Pacific Commission, designed to ensure a united and common approach to problems in this area, particularly those of an economic and social nature, the relationship which already exists between New Zealand and the South Pacific Island Administrations should become even closer.

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THE FAR EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA 1. General During this year major political adjustments in the Far East have continued, many of which will undoubtedly prove of far-reaching ultimate significance to New Zealand. Through Commonwealth channels and through correspondence with New Zealand posts overseas, the Department has been kept informed concerning these developments, despite the limitations imposed by the small size of its Far Eastern Section and the absence of New Zealand posts in the Far East which might appraise events with this country's interests in mind. The general aspect of contemporary problems has concerned the Department, particularly where they have been brought before the United Nations, as in the case of the problems of Indonesia, Korea, and Kashmir. The Department has, however, been equally concerned with many practical questions arising from changes which have affected the British Commonwealth, notably the attainment by India and Pakistan of Dominion status and by Ceylon also of fully responsible status within the British Commonwealth; the constitutional revision in Malaya, resulting in the establishment of the Federation of Malaya on 1 February; and the decision of Burma to exercise its independence outside the British Commonwealth. In other cases it is frequently the particular aspect of the general problem which has, engaged the immediate attention of the Department—for instance, with the continuance of the civil war in China, the protection of New Zealand nationals there and the work of relief agencies operating in the country. The Siamese coup d'etat of 9 November, 1947, was of some immediate practical interest to New Zealand in that it appeared that the treaty rights of New Zealand nationals might have been affected. Especially noteworthy are the several contacts, chiefly in the economic and welfare fields, made between New Zealand and the Far East during the year. New Zealand delegates attended the Regional Study Conference on Fundamental Education held under the auspices of UNESCO at Nanking in September, 1947, the Preparatory Asian Regional Conference of the International Labour Organization held in New Delhi in October and November, and the second session of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE), held in Baguio in November and December. Although personnel attending these conferences were drawn from the External Affairs Department only in the case of the ECAFE meeting (which is discussed more fully in the section dealing with the Economic and Social Council), these meetings all have their importance in

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connection with New Zealand's Far Eastern relations, and to that extent the briefing of the delegates has been the concern of the Department. 2. Japanese Peace Settlement From the beginning of 1947 there was a quickening of interest among all countries concerned in the conclusion of the Japanese peace treaty. Important speeches made by General Mac Arthur and Dr. Evatt in March gave public expression to the view that the treaty should be concluded as soon as possible, without waiting upon developments in Europe. The New Zealand Government took an early opportunity of making known its view that all active belligerents in the war against Japan must be permitted effective participation in the peace conference. The Australian Government proposed a Commonwealth Conference to discuss the main aspects of the settlement. There was general agreement that an informal exchange of views among members of the Commonwealth would be desirable, although it was recognized as equally desirable that no broad, binding decisions should be made prior to the main conference. On this understanding, members of the Commonwealth accepted an invitation issued by the Australian Government to attend a conference at Canberra on 26 August, 1947. In the months prior to the Canberra Conference the Department engaged in intensive preparatory studies. Policy on the military aspects of the treaty was prepared in association with the Chiefs of Staff, and on the economic aspects with an ad hoc inter-departmental committee whose sub-committees prepared a series of studies on subjects such as the level of economic life, industrial disarmament, reparations, shipping, scientific development, trade practices, and the property rights and interests of New Zealand nationals in Japan. The political aspects of the settlement were the subject of a series of departmental discussions and studies. Shortly prior to the conference, Mr. G. R. Powles, who during the last two years has been intimately connected with the Far Eastern Commission, was recalled from Washington for consultations. Finally, the main issues were brought before Cabinet by the Minister of External Affairs. At the Conference, which lasted from 26 August to 2 September, 1947, New Zealand was represented by the Prime Minister and Mr. J. G. Barclay, accompanied by departmental advisers. Apart from its interest as being the first conference of British Commonwealth Governments to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, the conference was notable also as being the first meeting of Commonwealth Governments to be attended by representatives of independent

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India, Pakistan, and Burma. On the return of the delegation a report on the conference was submitted to Parliament, together with the comments and proposals of the New Zealand delegation towards certain aspects of the peace settlement. These documents emphasize New Zealand security interest in the settlement and place stress upon the interconnection between welfare and security, upon the post-treaty supervision of Japan, and in particular upon the relationship between the Japanese peace settlement and the United Nations. The report was the first question to be referred by the Government to the External Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, and during the time it was under discussion by the Committee additional documentation was prepared by the Department for the information of members of the Committee. This service has been maintained and extended since then by the presentation, from time to time, of additional studies on Far Eastern matters arising out of the discussions and interests of the Committee. After the invitation to attend the Canberra Conference had been accepted an invitation to attend a peace conference to be held in or near Washington or San Francisco was addressed by the United States Government to States represented on the Far Eastern Commission. Under the United States proposal the eleven countries represented on the Far Eastern Commission were to attend the Conference, making their decisions by two-thirds majority vote. The New Zealand Government, and other Governments of the British Commonwealth, welcomed the proposal for a conference, although in view of their prior commitment the date of 19 August, tentatively suggested by the United States Government, was not acceptable to them. The reply of the Soviet Union, however, made clear their view that the Japanese peace settlement must first be considered by the Council of Foreign Ministers ; the Chinese Government also desired a procedure by which there would be a modified form of the veto. An impasse was thus reached, and no way has yet been found of overcoming these difficulties, although there has been general support for the holding of an early conference. 3. Far Eastern Commission The eleven-nation Far Eastern Commission* has continued to meet regularly during the course of the year, New Zealand representation being drawn from the New Zealand Legation in Washington, as was done last year. On 19 June, 1947, the Commission passed an important decision in its basic post-surrender policy for Japan. In general the emphasis during this year has shifted

* Composition and powers summarized in annual report for 1946-47 (A-11, 1947).

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from political to economic matters. The progress of the Commission in the economic field has been slow, and although a great deal of .work has been done on reparations, and particularly upon the level of economic life, no policy decision has yet emerged. Some decisions have, however, been reached, including decisions on the reduction of industrial war potential, sources of Japanese imports, and the destination of Japanese exports. Nevertheless, the accumulating difficulties standing in the way of joint determination of policy are exemplified by the fact that during the last six months of the period under review only two policy decisions were passed by the Commission ; the first dealt with the prohibition of military activity in Japan and the disposition of Japanese military equipment, the second with the supply of food for civilian consumption in Japan. 4. Allied Council for Japan New Zealand has continued to be represented jointly with the United Kingdom, Australia, and India on the Allied Council for Japan.* In September Mr. W. Macmahon Ball was replaced by Mr. Patrick Shaw. Although serving as a useful source of information concerning activities in Japan, the Allied Council has proved ineffectual in the absence of any desire by SCAP to make real use of its advisory functions. Subjects under discussion in the Council have included matters such as land reform, public health, stabilisation of wage and price relationships, the establishment of a foreign exchange-rate for Japan, repatriation, and fundamental changes in the Japanese educational system. 5. Japanese Affairs generally (a) Antarctic Whaling Expedition Last year's annual report noted that, in view of certain unsatisfactory features of the 1946 " emergency " whaling expedition, the United States would be informed of New Zealand's opposition to an expedition in the coming season. The Far Eastern Commission had not completed its consideration of the future of the Japanese pelagic whaling industry at the time when, in early May, 1947, SCAP was about to take a decision upon Japanese participation in the 1947-48 Antarctic whaling season. The New Zealand Government, along with other Allied Governments, therefore made known at Washington their opposition to further expeditions from Japan pending an over-all settlement. The United States, however, maintaining that it was essential for the purposes of the occupation,

* Composition and powers summarized in annual report for 1946-47 (A-11, 1947).

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allowed a Japanese expedition—larger than that of 1946—t0 proceed. For the 1948-49 season SCAP has planned an even larger expedition. The New Zealand Government have not on this occasion deemed it useful to oppose all Japanese participation in Antarctic whaling, but have made known their view that the proposed expansion of the Japanese whaling fleet is unjustified both on economic and security grounds. (b) New Zealand Government Trade Representative in Japan In May, 1947, a New Zealand Government Trade Representative was accredited to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and stationed in Tokyo. Normal trade relations through private channels have not yet been established with Japan, and arrangements for supply and payment have involved governmental negotiations through the trade representative, who was also able to arrange facilities for a number of New Zealand businessmen who visited Japan during the year. The trade representative has also dealt with reparations and restitution work in Japan and with the restoration of New Zealand property in Japan. Through this officer it has been possible to obtain more information upon Japan and to arrange a useful flow of publicity and scientific material. 6. Korea Korea, one of the key strategic areas of the Far East, will form part of the peace settlement with Japan; events in that country are therefore of some interest to New Zealand, and the Department, though hampered by lack of reliable information, has interested itself in them. The reference of the problem of the independence of Korea to the United Nations raised new issues which called for policy decisions. In the Cairo and Potsdam Agreements the Great Powers declared that after liberation from nearly forty years of Japanese rule Korea should in due course become free and independent. At Moscow, in December, 1945, they agreed to establish a joint United States - Soviet Union Commission to consult with the Koreans and decide on methods for the establishment of a provisional Government, which for a period of up to five years would be subject to a Four Power trusteeship by the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and China. The Joint Commission, however, after two years of negotiation, failed to reach agreement, and Korea, torn by political dissension and no nearer to independence, remained artificially and ruinously divided into two zones with little interchange of goods and services. The United States Government, considering that further negotiation with the Soviet Union would be useless, proposed

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the problem of Korean independence for consideration by the Assembly at its regular session in September, 1947. During the Assembly's discussions it became clear that both the United States and the Soviet Union had abandoned the provision for trusteeship, which had been most unpopular with the Koreans. Some action beyond that contemplated in the Moscow Agreement had to be taken in order to avoid further delay in the achievement by the Koreans of their unity and independence. The United States representative proposed a resolution directing the occupying Powers to hold elections before 31 March, 1948, under the observation of a Commission to be set up by the Assembly, as a first step towards the establishment of a National Korean Government. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, held that the problem of Korea was not within the competence of the United Nations, being a question for settlement by the States concerned on the basis of the Moscow Agreement, by the provisions of which the United States had failed to abide. However, the Soviet Union's representative proposed that Korean representatives should take part in the Assembly's discussions and also that all military forces should be withdrawn from Korea at the beginning of 1948. The New Zealand representative (Sir Carl Berendsen), while supporting the United States proposal for elections before the withdrawal of the occupation forces rather than the Soviet proposal for immediate withdrawal, questioned the desirability of fixing a rigid time-limit for the holding of the elections. He considered that the matter should properly be considered in relation to the peace arrangements for Japan, but if that would occasion too much delay the Assembly should confine its action in the meantime to the establishment of a Commission whose sole task would be to ascertain the views of the Korean people. All other aspects of the problem should be referred to the proposed Interim Committee of the General Assembly for further consideration. The proposal that Korean representatives should be asked to take part in the discussions was rejected as impracticable, and the resolution providing for the early withdrawal of troops was also defeated by a large majority. Thereupon, the Soviet Union and five Eastern European States refused to vote on the United States resolution on the grounds that the Korean people had not been consulted. The United States resolution, with some amendments, was then adopted by 43 votes (including New Zealand) to none, with 6 abstentions. The amended resolution provided for the establishment of a United Nations Temporary Commission for Korea consisting of representatives of Australia, Canada, China, El Salvador, France, India, Philippines, Syria, and the Ukrainian S.S.R. It provided, also, that elections should be held before 31 March for a Korean National

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Assembly which would set up a National Government and consult with the Commission concerning the prompt realization of Korean independence. The National Government should constitute its own security forces, and as soon as possible thereafter the occupation troops should be withdrawn. Member States were requested to give every assistance to the Commission in the performance of its task and to refrain from interfering in Korean affairs both before and after the attainment of Korean independence. Finally, the Commission should report, with its conclusions, to the next regular session of the General Assembly and might consult with the Interim Committee with respect to the application of the resolution in the light of developments. The representative of the Ukrainian S.S.R. declared that his country, although named as a member of the Temporary Commission, would not take part in its work. The Soviet Union maintained its objection to the Temporary Commission on Korea and refused it entry to the Soviet-occupied zone of Korea. The Commission thus found itself unable to apply the programme envisaged in the Assembly's resolution to Korea as a whole, and decided to consult the Interim Committee of the Assembly, asking it, in effect, whether it would be in order for the Commission to carry out the programme in South Korea only. The Interim Committee, from which Russia and the five States identified with her absented themselves, discussed the problem on 19 and 26 February. The Chairman of the Temporary Commission gave the view of most of the members of the Commission that the formation of a separate sovereign government in South Korea would not facilitate either the establishment of Korean national independence or the withdrawal of the occupying troops. The United States, however, submitted a proposal embodying the view that the Korean Commission should carry out the programme in such parts of Korea as were accessible to it. They proposed, further, that the resolution should be accompanied by a letter to the Commission stating the considerations which the Committee had in mind—namely, (a) that elections observed by the United Nations Temporary Commission should be held in a free atmosphere, wherein the democratic rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly would be recognized and respected; (b) the National Assembly to which the representatives were to be elected would be a stage in the formation of a Korean Government, the form of which was to be determined by the Korean people themselves ; (c) the Interim Committee recognized that the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea itself had authority and discretion to discharge its duties in Korea wherever and to the extent that circumstances permitted.

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Australia and Canada were among the countries which opposed the United States proposal, lest it have dangerous consequences and intensify and perpetuate the division of Korea. The New Zealand representative (Mr. Thorn), on the other hand, supported the United States resolution. But he considered that the letter might not carry the same authority as the resolution, and therefore suggested that the resolution should be amended by the incorporation of the United States pledges of co-operation in securing free elections and of the opinion that the National Assembly would not necessarily be the definitive form of Korean Government, but would be free to consult with other groups regarding their participation. These suggestions were not accepted. The United States resolution was adopted by 31 votes (including New Zealand) with 2 against (Australia and Canada) and 11 abstentions. At the end of the period under review Korean unity and independence were no nearer and tension was mounting. In South Korea, occupied by the United States, preparations were being made for the elections which General Hodge had set down for 10 May. Whether the political atmosphere there made free elections impossible, and therefore whether the United Nations Temporary Commission should take the possibly far-reaching step of associating itself with them, were still matters of grave argument. Meanwhile in North Korea, the zone occupied by the Soviet Union, the Peoples Congress, it was rumoured, had drafted the Constitution of a " Democratic Peoples Republic " which would claim sovereignty over all Korea, a claim which would be backed by its " Peoples Army " of 250,000 to 500,000 men. 7. Regional Co-operation in South-east Asia An event which, though small in itself, may not be without significance was the despatch of a New Zealand observer to the Conference on Social Welfare held at Singapore in August, 1947. For some time the Government had been aware of the effective work of Lord Killearn, as Special Commissioner for South-east Asia, and his staff of economic and agricultural experts in organizing at Singapore a non-controversial forum where practical problems such as co-ordinating food production and distribution could be discussed by the many countries of the region. Burma, Ceylon, Malaya, Borneo, French Indo-China, Siam, the Netherlands East Indies, and Hong Kong were joining in regular meetings, and with them were associated the Indian Government, those Dominion Governments with representatives at Singapore, and occasionally China, the Philippines, and the United States of America. It was known that a co-operative regional spirit was being developed, and that the

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members of this informal regional group had come to realizeincreasingly that they had common practical interests cutting across political differences. Consequently, when Lord Killearn visited. New Zealand the Government found it valuable to discuss with him the implications of his work for New Zealand. Lord Killearn gave many examples of the way New Zealand's special experience could be shared to advantage with the emergent countries of Southeast Asia. Shortly afterwards, in August, 1947, a Social Welfare Conference for the South-east Asian region was held at Singapore. It was attended by the countries mentioned above, together with observers; from the United Nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, and the World Health Organization. The Government arranged for the attendance at the Conference of a New Zealand observer, who was able to report upon many of the welfare, food, and nutrition problems of the area and who was greatly impressed by the marked co-operative regional spirit. The New Zealand observer, who had practical experience of New Zealand social welfare problems, was able to contribute usefully to the discussions. It is possible that this Social Welfare Conference will be the forerunner of further regional conferences, and there is little doubt that the trend towards regional co-operation in South-east Asia will continue, assisted by the activities of several of the specialized United Nations agencies. The Department has felt it important to consider the place of New Zealand in such a development. EUROPE 1. General The Department has closely followed political developments in Europe and has attempted to assess the implications for New Zealand of such outstanding occurrences of the past year as the integration of the Czechoslovak and Hungarian States into the Soviet sphere of influence, the political tug-of-war preceding elections in Italy, the establishment of a series of alliances between the Soviet Government and the governments of Eastern Europe, the new political and economic cohesiveness developed by France, Great Britain, and the Benelux group, the preparations by the sixteen countries which are to receive aid under the E.R.P. programme, and the continued failure of the Council of Foreign Ministers to reach agreement on the terms of the German and Austrian peace treaties.

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2. European Recovery and " Western Union " The war, and the forces which it released all over the world, damaged the entire fabric of Europe's economy and rocked the basis of the social and political life of its people. Recognizing that the well-being and security of New Zealand is directly bound up with that of the United Kingdom and some countries of Western Europe, and through them with Europe as a whole, the Government have made clear the importance which they attach to the recovery of Europe. The detailed plans and actions, moreover, by which this recovery will be brought about inevitably affect New Zealand's life and economy. The Department therefore set under way, in some cases in association with other Departments, the assessment of the political, economic, and military implications for this country, individually and as a member of the British Commonwealth, of the important proposals and arrangements for European recovery which have been initiated during the year. Close consultation on all these matters is secured through the agency of the United Kingdom Government and the office of the New Zealand High Commissioner at London. Chief attention has come to be directed upon the Brussels Treaty of March, 1948, within whose framework the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg will co-operate in meeting their common economic, social, cultural, and security problems; the so-called Marshall Plan and the Organization for European Economic Co-operation which is the sixteen-Power body set up to organize American aid to Europe and, in pursuance of the American condition that aid should be accompanied by joint efforts of the sixteen to help themselves, to consider co-operation in production, trade, and finance ; the proposals for a Western European Customs Union which, though only a very long-term possibility and not necessarily a part of economic co-operation, have far-reaching implications ; and the Economic Commission for Europe, a United Nations body, which embraces countries of both Eastern and Western Europe, and has, through its technical committees dealing with commodities, industries, transport, &c., already made a practical contribution to joint economic planning. 3. German and Austrian Settlements At the time of publication of the last departmental report it was expected that Allied Governments would before long be associated with the Big Four in the study of problems relating to the German settlement. Unfortunately, as the result of the breakdown in December, 1947, of the London meeting of the Council of Foreign

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Ministers, this expectation was not realized. Subsequent discussions held in London in February and March of this year between countries of the Benelux group and the United States, the United Kingdom, and France (the powers in occupation of Western Germany) have, however, led to considerable agreement upon important aspects of the German problem. It is a likely outcome of the discussions that a Germany of the Western Zones will be called upon to draft a federal Constitution, and that a Western German government may subsequently come into existence. It has been suggested, too, that the occupying Powers will seek to conclude with the German authorities an agreement which will define their respective spheres of responsibility. Such possibilities are not without importance for New Zealand, whose consistent policy has been that the final terms of the peace settlement with Germany should be decided by a conference of all Allied belligerents. The degree to which the projected arrangements for Western Germany may anticipate and predetermine arrangements which should properly be the concern of the peace conference is accordingly being studied. Continuing interest is also being maintained in the long-drawn negotiations among Deputies of the Foreign Ministers concerning a peace treaty with Austria. Though this is to be concluded, if possible, by the four Great Powers alone, the New Zealand Government will be invited, if they see fit, to accede to the settlement and accordingly have an interest in its terms. The Department has given especial attention to the security problem implicit in proposals that use and development of the productive capacity of Western Germany should be an essential part of the " Marshall Plan " for Western European economic recovery. 4. Reparations Conference Failure of the Council of Foreign Ministers to agree concerning reparations from Germany was the cause of dissatisfaction among certain members of the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency in Brussels, which allocates industrial reparations among eighteen allied countries, including New Zealand. In February of this year an invitation was issued by the Yugoslav Government to a conference on reparations to be held among all members of the Reparations Agency except Greece and the three Powers occupying the Western Zone of Germany. The New Zealand Government replied that they were unable to accept. They did not, they said, share the view (expressed in the Yugoslav invitation) that responsibility for failure of the German reparations programme rested on the three Powers occupying the Western Zones of Germany, and stated, moreover that if the

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reparations problem was to be considered seriously by a more broadly constituted body than the Council of Foreign Ministers, the essential first step should be the calling of a conference of all Allied belligerents.. 1 The Department has continued to provide a channel for communications with the New Zealand representative on the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency in Brussels, the organization responsible for the allocation of German industrial equipment as reparations. Final reparations have not yet been decided, but a small motor-ship and some valuable machinery have already been received in New Zealand, and delivery is expected of heavy cotton materials to the value of about £1,000,000. 5. Peace Settlements with Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria,,. Hungary, and Finland Though the peace treaties with the ex-satellite countries became effective only in September, 1947, important problems have already arisen concerning their terms and implementation. (a) Trieste and Treaty Revision At the September meeting of the United Nations General Assembly the New Zealand delegate was instructed to vote against an Argentine proposal (subsequently withdrawn) that the treaty with Italy should be revised, since it was held that to call the peace treaties in question within a few months of their ratification would endanger the international order which they were intended to establish. On 20 March, 1948, the United Kingdom, United States, and French Governments announced that they considered that the clauses of the Italian Treaty establishing Trieste as a free territory under United Nations rule had become unworkable owing to Yugoslav obstructiveness and to the failure of the Security Council to agree upon the selection of a Governor for Trieste. The three Powers proposed, therefore, that Trieste be returned to Italy, and have since invited the Soviet Government to take part in a conference for the purpose of drafting an appropriate protocol. This the Soviet Government have so far refused to do. The proposal is considered by the New Zealand Government to be of great importance because it formally initiates revision of the peace structure and, if persevered with, may well have considerable influence upon international relationships in Europe and among the Allied countries.

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(/?) Human Rights Clauses and Treaty Supervision Another problem which is considered to have important implications has its origin in the operation in certain ex-enemy countries of the human rights clauses of the peace treaties. Since the signature of the peace treaties it has become increasingly apparent that the treaty provisions are inadequate to ensure protection of human rights against a government which chooses to withhold them. At the Paris Conference Australia proposed the formation of a European Court of Human Rights in order that full effect might be given to clauses binding the ex-enemy countries to take all measures necessary to secure to all persons under their jurisdiction the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. New Zealand, however, was alone in supporting the Australian resolution. Nor did the Australian proposals for the creation of a body to see that the treaties were carried out meet with any more success. It will be remembered that the peace treaties did no more than to place upon the Ambassadors of the Four Powers the responsibility for representing the Allied and Associated Powers in dealings with the ex-enemy Governments on matters concerning the execution and interpretation of the treaties. Attempts by the United States and United Kingdom representatives to assert these supervisory powers in Bulgaria and Roumania have, however, proved unsuccessful. For instance, in reply to a protest by the United States and United Kingdom Ambassadors against certain political arrests in Roumania, the Roumanian Government contended that the treaty does not confer upon any other Powers the right to interfere in Roumania's domestic affairs. The protest of the Ambassadors, in the opinion of the Roumanian Government, constituted such interference and therefore could not be entertained. The importance for New Zealand of this and similar refusals by ex-enemy Governments is not direct, since this country has few economic or political relations with the Balkans. However, as a signatory of the peace treaties, New Zealand has a special responsibility to interest herself in the respect given by the ex-enemy States to their treaty obligations. Moreover, the proven inadequacy of the human rights clauses and of the machinery for supervision of the treaties already concluded has shown that it is imperative that the equivalent procedures in the peace settlements with Germany and Japan, in which New Zealand is vitally interested, should be more effective. The possible form of these procedures has accordingly been specially examined.

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(<r) Former Italian Colonies The terms of the peace treaty with Italy provide that the ultimate disposal of Italy's former colonial possessions should be decided by the Big Four taking into consideration the views of other interested Governments and the findings of any Commission of Investigation which might be sent to the affected territories. If no agreement is reached within twelve months of the treaty's becoming effective, the problem must be referred for decision to the General Assembly of the United Nations. In October, 1947, Deputies appointed by the members of the Council of Foreign Ministers met in London to frame rules of procedure for the hearing of interested Governments and to draw up an itinerary and terms of reference for a Commission of Investigation. Despite strongly worded requests by certain Governments to be allowed to participate, this activity was confined to the Deputies alone. Subsequently New Zealand and other interested Governments were asked to indicate whether or not they wished to express views on disposal of the colonies. In reply the New Zealand Government protested against the excessively restrictive interpretation which the Great Powers had placed upon the treaty in inviting interested Governments to express opinions only on the substantive issue of disposal. Opinions of maximum meaning and value could be presented only if full documentation were available. The New Zealand Government did not therefore intend to state their views until they had had the opportunity of studying the reports of the Commission of Investigation and other relevant information. Present indications are, however, that interested Governments are likely to be called upon to express their views in the near future. Since no copies of the Commission's reports have yet been received and since the report on Libya (in the liberation of which New Zealand was most concerned) will almost certainly not be available for a considerable time, New Zealand will probably be obliged to express her views on inadequate evidence. The right to express supplementary opinions at a later date will not remedy what the New Zealand Government have stated to be a grave and unjustified weakness in the Deputies' procedure. 6. Greece Throughout the period covered by this report Greece has been divided by a war between the guerilla forces of the northern territory and the army of the established Government at Athens. This crisis assumed international significance by reason of the assistance given

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2—A 1

by States outside Greece and the meeting in that area of the opposing political forces of western democracy and communism. The New Zealand Government was required to consider the Greek question when it came before the second regular session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in September, 1947, and the following is a brief summary of events leading up to this development. The Balkans Investigation Commission, which the Security Council had unanimously decided to appoint on 19 December, 1946, for the purpose of investigating alleged border violations along the frontier between Greece and the three northern States—Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia—completed its report to the Security Council on 25 May, 1947. This report concluded that " Yugoslavia, and to a lesser extent Albania and Bulgaria, have supported the guerilla warfare in Greece." The report recommended that the Security Council should establish a small Commission to investigate any further incidents for a period of at least two years. A United States proposal to the Security Council that the Commission's report and recommendations should be adopted was vetoed on 29 July by the U.S.S.R., and a resolution proposed by the U.S.S.R. calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Greece was also defeated. On 3 August the Greek Government made further charges of aggression against the neighbouring Balkan States, and asked that enforcement action should be taken by the Security Council to prevent this. Resolutions directed against such aggression were successively vetoed by the U.S.S.R., and as it had become obvious that the question could not be satisfactorily dealt with by the Security Council, at the instance of the United States it was placed on the agenda of the second session of the General Assembly which commenced on 16 September. After lengthy debate on the Greek question, during which the U.S.S.R. and its supporters insisted that the Greek Government was responsible for the unsettled situation in Greece, and that foreign troops should be withdrawn from the country, the General Assembly on 21 October voted on a resolution establishing a special Balkans Committee, which was adopted by 40 votes to 6. This resolution requested Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia to cease from aiding the guerillas in Greece, and called upon those three States on the one hand and Greece on the other to co-operate in the settlement of their disputes by peaceful means. It was resolved that the Committee should consist of representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the U.S.S.R., and Poland. Its

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tasks were to observe the compliance by the four Governments of Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia with the Assembly's recommendation that they should settle their disputes by peaceful means, and it was given the power to recommend that a special session of the General Assembly be convoked as a matter of urgency, if it thought that further consideration of the question was necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security. Poland and the U.S.S.R. both declined to take part in the activities of the Committee, on the grounds that its establishment was not in conformity with the principles of the United Nations Charter or of the sovereign equality of States, and - that it would not lead to the improvement of conditions in Greece. In speaking in support of the resolution during the debate in the First Committee of the Assembly the representative of New Zealand, Sir Carl Berendsen, stated that the fact that the Security Council had been unable to deal adequately with the Greek question made it necessary that the Assembly should assume responsibility and take positive steps to effect a resolution. He referred to the history of the Greek case in the Security Council and pointed out that the extent of the material already before the Assembly made it clear that that body could not consider the question at first hand and that it was therefore necessary that a subsidiary body should be established for the purpose. On 24 December it was announced that General Markos, the Greek guerilla leader, had proclaimed the establishment of a " Provisional Democratic Greek Government" in northern Greece. Subsequent information confirmed that this body did not in fact possess the qualifications of a Government at international law, but the special Balkans Committee resolved that it would be bound to consider the possibility that any act of association with the newly proclaimed Government might constitute a threat to the maintenance of international peace and security, and make it necessary to convoke a special session of the Assembly. In the event, no State has accorded recognition to Markos. The special Balkans Committee presented reports on 31 December, 1947, and 10 January, 1948, in which it remarked on the absence of Polish and Russian delegations, and referred to the fact that it did not have the co-operation of the Governments of Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia, without which its work was naturally impeded. The findings of the Committee's Observation Group contained in the report were to the effect that while no definite conclusion could be reached on the question of whether Greek territory had been violated, the definite opinion had been confirmed that the guerillas

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were receiving aid from foreign sources in the form of logistic support (e,g., supplies of ammunition and evacuation of wounded). Following the Markos proclamation, fighting between Government troops and the guerillas was intensified, and the Greek Army was increased in strength to cope with this development. Some successes against the guerillas were achieved by the Government forces, who were assisted by the presence of United States Military Advisers under agreement with the Greek Government, but as at March, 1948, the situation was still unsettled, and there seemed no early prospect of a termination of the prevailing state of insurrection. 7. Spain During 1947 nearly all members of the United Nations which had maintained Ministers or Ambassadors in Madrid withdrew them in compliance with a recommendation concerning the Franco regime, made by the General Assembly on 12 December, 1946. New Zealand, having no representatives in Spain, was not practically affected. Only Argentina failed to respond to the Assembly's resolution, which, besides inviting the withdrawal of heads of missions and barring Spain from international agencies and conferences under United Nations auspices, recommended that if within a reasonable time " a Government deriving its authority from. the consent of the governed " were not established in Spain, the Security Council should consider adequate means to remedy the situation. At the Assembly's session in September, 1947, opinions concerning the effectiveness of the 1946 resolution were shown to be sharply divided. Some speakers, notably Mr. Lange (Poland), Mr. Masaryk (Czechoslovakia), Mr. Gromyko (Soviet Union) contended that, despite the resolution, Franco had strengthened his position and that the Spanish situation was now such that the Security Council should apply economic sanctions. Other speakers asserted that the resolution had actually helped to strengthen the Franco regime, and that stronger measures would implant Franco more firmly than ever in control by rallying the Spanish people behind him. Others considered that the situation in Spain constituted only a latent threat to peace and did not call for the application of economic sanctions which would merely bring added misery to the Spanish population. Attempts to reconcile these opinions and to find a formula which would satisfy a majority of the General Assembly resulted finally in a resolution expressing the Assembly's confidence that the Security Council will exercise its responsibility

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under the Charter as soon as it considers that the Spanish situation so requires. The Assembly did not, however, reaffirm the previous year's resolution concerning relations of United Nations members with Spain. THE MIDDLE EAST 1. Palestine Developments in Palestine have an important bearing on the security position in the Middle East, and hence on British Commonwealth strategic interests in this vital area. As such they have been closely followed by New Zealand as a member of the Commonwealth. As a member of the United Nations, to which the question of Palestine was referred by the United Kingdom, New Zealand had an added responsibility for joining in the attempt to reach a just and permanent settlement of this complex problem. Finally, as a member of the group of wartime Allies, New Zealand could not ignore the fate of the small remnant of European Jewry which survived the German extermination camps and, for the most part, now wishes to find haven in Palestine. Since accepting the mandate for Palestine the United Kingdom Government have made many attempts, without success, to reconcile the conflicting claims of Arabs and Jews ; finally, on 2 April,'l947, they requested that the question of Palestine be placed on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly at its next regular session, and announced that they would submit to the Assembly an account of their administration of the mandate and would ask the Assembly to make recommendations on the question of the future Government of Palestine. At the same time the United Kingdom Government pointed out the desirability of preparatory study of the question under the auspices of the United Nations, and accordingly requested that a special session of the Assembly might be called to constitute and instruct a Special Committee to prepare for the consideration of the Palestine question at the Assembly's next regular session. The special session of the Assembly met from 28 April to 14 May, 1947, and set up a United Nations Special Committee to examine the question of Palestine and to prepare a report for the General Assembly. This Special Committee went to Palestine, visited significant areas, heard representatives of both Arabs and Jews, and drew up a report, which was signed on 31 August, 1947. The report was unanimous in recommending the early termination of the mandate and the granting of independence to Palestine, but as regards the future government of Palestine the Committee was divided, the majority

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favouring partition into an Arab State and a Jewish State with economic union, and the minority favouring a single federal State. Both reports provided for an international regime for the holy places in Palestine. When the General Assembly met in its regular session in September, 1947, the United Kingdom Government made it clear that they intended to relinquish the mandate and withdraw from Palestine. This announcement of an early withdrawal made it more than ever necessary that a solution should be found to the Palestine question. A special A.d Hoc Committee on Palestine was set up which, after hearing representatives of the Jewish Agency and the Arab Higher Committee and formulating detailed plans in sub-committee, rejected the plan for a unitary State and adopted the plan for partition with economic union. The New Zealand delegate, Sir Carl Berendsen, had consistently urged that the Assembly should be aware of the inevitable consequences of its adoption of a plan and should make provision in advance for dealing with the trouble which would follow hard upon the Assembly decision. As the proposals on which the A.d Hoc Committee voted did not contain adequate provision for enforcement, he accordingly abstained from voting. The partition plan, having been adopted by the Ad Hoc Committee, came back to the General Assembly, where it was approved by 33 votes to 13, with 10 abstentions, on 29 November. It was clear by this stage that there would be no response to the appeal for enforcement measures which the New Zealand delegate had made in Committee, and, since the alternative seemed to be no decision and chaos, in the full Assembly he recorded New Zealand's vote for the plan, making it clear, however, that it fell far short of what New Zealand considered necessary as far as provisions for enforcement were concerned. The representative of the United Kingdom announced that his Government would not obstruct the activities of the United Nations Commission which was to carry out the plan. The partition plan, which envisaged the division of Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab State with economic union between them, provided for a United Nations Commission which under the guidance of the Security Council would go to Palestine, establish the frontiers of Jewish and Arab States, establish in each State a Provisional Council of Government, take over powers of administration from the Mandatory, and transfer them to the Provisional Councils, who, after the Mandatory's withdrawal from Palestine, would hold elections for Constituent Assemblies in the respective States. The City of Jerusalem was to be established as a separate entity under a special international regime administered by the United Nations through its Trusteeship Council. i

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The Assembly's decision was accepted by the jews, but denounced by the Arabs, who had opposed the partition of Palestine throughout and had supported the plan for a unitary State. The representatives of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and the Yemen charged that the Assembly's decision was the result of pressure brought to bear by the Great Powers, and declared that they could not admit its validity and would not consider themselves bound by it. Following the adoption of the plan by the United Nations, the security situation in Palestine seriously deteriorated, and extensive fighting broke out between Arabs and jews. The United Nations Commission, which was to carry out the plan, reported that it could not perform its functions in view of armed Arab opposition, the fact that the Mandatory was unwilling that it should go to Palestine in time to carry out the necessary preliminaries to the plan before the mandate ended, and the failure of the Security Council to place any armed forces at its disposal. At this stage it became clear that, principally as a result of the failure of the Assembly and of the Security Council to agree on any enforcement measures, the partition plan could not be carried out as the Assembly had envisaged it. In these circumstances, on 19 March the United States representative announced in the Security Council that in the view of his Government a temporary trusteeship for Palestine should be established under the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations. This announcement came as a surprise, for it involved abandonment, for the time being at least, of the principle of partition which the United States had hitherto vigorously supported, and it was regarded by the Jews as a grave setback to their efforts to secure a Jewish State in part of Palestine. On 31 March the United States proposed in the Security Council that a special session of the General Assembly should be held, at which the whole question of Palestine should be thrown open for further consideration. This proposal was adopted, it being agreed that the session should open on 16 April. The New Zealand Government had been under no illusions as to the difficulties inherent in a plan involving partition, and precisely for that reason the representative of New Zealand had consistently emphasized the necessity for making adequate provision for its enforcement. Nor did the New Zealand Government claim that a decision of the Assembly in favour of the plan could be any more than a recommendation to member States. However, the facts that the plan had been brought forward after extensive consideration in a specially appointed United Nations body, and that it had been adopted in the General Assembly by a majority of the United Nations, gave it, in the New Zealand Government's view, the

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status of a judgment of that body on the question of Palestine. On the other hand, the new proposals for trusteeship, which the United States Government now advocated, not only seemed to imply the abandonment of the lessons of previous United Nations study, but also lacked provision for the enforcement which, since they appeared to be unacceptable to Jews as well as Arabs, would still be necessary. Thus they represented no advancement on the partition plan. While, therefore, the New Zealand Government examined the trusteeship proposals with an open mind, being anxious to consider any solution which might have a reasonable chance of being accepted by both parties and thus restoring peace and order in Palestine, their first reaction was that the proposals were inadequate and unlikely to be effective. As they also represented a departure from a decision on the Palestine question which the United Nations had made only a few months before, the New Zealand Government were further concerned at the possibility that the proposals might seriously affect the prestige and standing of the United Nations. This was the situation at 31 March, 1948, the end of the period covered by this report.* 2. Former Italian Colonies Negotiations on the future of these North and East African territories are recorded in the paragraphs in the section on Europe which deals with the Italian peace treaty. THE UNITED NATIONS 1. The General Assembly (A) Second Regular Session of the General Assembly All members of the United Nations, at present 58, are represented on the General Assembly. Each member has one vote in the Assembly, but may send to its sessions five representatives, five alternate representatives, and as many advisers and experts as it considers necessary. The regular annual sessions of the Assembly, which usually last five to eight weeks, begin on the third Tuesday in September. Special sessions may also be convened, and two have been held to consider the question of Palestine. Each regular session opens with a general debate, during which the head of almost every delegation gives a speech outlining the approach of his delegation to the questions on the agenda of the session. The items on the agenda are then referred to the Committees of the Assembly. The Committees report back resolutions

* Later developments are recorded in the report of the New Zealand delegation to the second special session of the General Assembly, printed as Publication No. 61. (A-2A, 1948).

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to the Assembly. The Assembly has six main Committees, on which each delegation is represented. First Committee: Political and Security (including the regulation of armaments) ; Second Committee : Economic and Financial; Third Committee: Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural; Fourth Committee: Trusteeship; Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary; Sixth Committee : Legal. . The Assembly also has standing Committees on budgetary questions and on contributions. The establishment of the Interim Committee is recorded later in this report. The Steering Committee of the Assembly is called the General Committee ; it consists of the President of the Assembly, seven VicePresidents, and the Chairmen of the six main Committees. These officers are elected at each session. The Committees take decisions by a majority of the members present and voting. The Assembly decides important questions by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, and other questions by a majority. The second regular session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, meeting in Assembly at Flushing and in Committee at Lake Success, considered and disposed of sixty-one agenda items between 16 September and 29 November, 1947. In circumstances made difficult by basic differences between east and west over the ends of government and human relations, the Assembly nevertheless showed a marked advance over the previous Assembly and asserted its influence and authority in support of international peace and order by passing decisions with respect to Palestine, Greece, Korea, and the " Little Assembly." All the decisions, except that on Palestine, were contested by the Soviet group in language of unprecedented violence. The full report of the New Zealand delegation to the Assembly will appear as External Affairs Publication No. 60. The following section is a bare summary of some of the major questions discussed. FIRST COMMITTEE The First (Political and Security) Committee considered: 1, measures to be taken against propaganda and the inciters of a new war; 2, voting in the Security Council; 3, admission of new members ; 4, threats to the territorial integrity and independence of Greece; 5, desirability of establishing an Interim Committee of the General Assembly; 6, relations of member States with Spain; 7, treatment of Indians in the Union of South Africa; 8, revision of the peace treaty with Italy; 9, Korea. The last six questions are, for the sake of convenience, reported elsewhere in this report. Only the first three will be mentioned here.

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1. Measures to be taken against Propaganda and the Inciters of a New War In a fiery speech during the opening debate, Mr. Vyshinsky (Soviet Union) launched an offensive against what he described as " the steadily increasing propaganda of a new war." The main burden of his accusation was directed against the press of the United States, which, he declared, was waging a furious campaign to justify the armaments race which that country had initiated in pursuit of a policy of world domination. Perhaps the most novel feature of the speech was that a number of " capitalist monopolies," " organs of the American reactionary press," and prominent individuals were singled out by name for attack. Mr. Vyshinsky concluded by moving a resolution which called for the condemnation and prohibition of war propaganda (particularly in the United States, Turkey, and Greece) and speedy action on the decisions taken by the Assembly the previous year on the reduction of armaments. In the First Committee Mr. Vyshinsky's allegations were repeated and supplemented in the most emphatic language by Dr. Bebler (Yugoslavia) and Dr. Manuilsky (Ukrainian S.S.R.). In reply, Mr. Austin (United States) strongly defended the principle of freedom of expression and declared that the Soviet proposal demanded suppression and censorship, which were contrary to the principles of the Charter. Mr. Hector McNeil (United Kingdom) declared that while uncontrolled private arms-manufacture and war propaganda were undoubtedly related, lack of progress on the essential and urgent subject of disarmament had been caused primarily by the attitude of the Soviet Union. He asked why the Soviet resolution had cited only the United States, Turkey, and Greece. Had not intemperate and irresponsible language also been used in Bulgaria, Egypt, and Moscow, and, indeed, in the Assembly itself? More than twenty other States expressed opposition to the Soviet resolution, in whole or in part. The United States representative clearly showed a desire that the resolution should be rejected outright; other representatives, however, considered that a resolution of some kind on the subject was called for. Dr. Evatt (Australia) in particular insisted on the need for a positive approach. Censorship or the prohibition of propaganda, in his view, would endanger freedom of expression. What was wanted was full access to news and opinion so that every responsible view could get a fair hearing. Sir Carl Berendsen declared that to New Zealand the form in which the Soviet resolution was presented was wholly unacceptable. While every one was opposed to war mongering, who would agree that such men as President Truman, Mr. Churchill, Senator Austin, Mr. Dulles, and Mr. Byrnes could be described as warmongers in any sense of the term ? The New Zealand delegation considered,

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however, that it would not be sufficient merely to reject the Soviet resolution, and agreed with Dr. Evatt that the correct way to deal with abuses of the right to freedom of expression was to expose rather than to suppress them. The Polish delegate proposed that the reference in the Soviet resolution to United States, Turkey, and Greece be omitted, and the Soviet Delegation agreed to compromise to this extent. Their resolution was, nevertheless, rejected. A vote was then taken on a joint Australian-Canadian-French resolution condemning propaganda designed or likely to promote breaches of the peace or acts of aggression; requesting members to promote within their constitutional limits friendly relations among nations, and to encourage the dissemination of information giving expression to the undoubted desire of all peoples for peace ; and directing that the resolution be communicated to the forthcoming Conference on Freedom of Information. This resolution was adopted without dissent. 2. Voting in the Security Council (" The Veto ") There were two items on the Assembly's Agenda on this subject—(i) An Argentinian proposal that a conference should be convoked under Article 109 of the Charter " to abolish the privilege of the veto "; (ii) An/ Australian request for consideration of the extent to which the resolution adopted by the previous session of the Assembly on this subject had been carried out. A further resolution was submitted by the Chinese delegation designed to ameliorate the effect of the unrestricted use of the veto without Charter revision. They proposed that the Security Council should be asked to regard as procedural, and therefore not subject to veto, a number of questions hitherto regarded as substantive ; that the permanent members of the Council should be asked to waive their right of veto on decisions concerning the pacific settlement of disputes ; and that, whenever the Security Council was prevented from adopting a resolution by the veto of a single permanent member, the Secretary-General should, at the request of the members voting for the resolution, convoke a special session of the Assembly to consider the question as soon as it had been removed from the Council's agenda. The United States delegation, in view of the time already taken up by other controversial matters, proposed a resolution requesting the newly constituted Interim Committee to consult with a Committee of the Security Council and report to the next regular session on any proposals which members might make, and inviting the permanent members of the Council to seek agreement among themselves on measures to ensure the effective exercise of the Council's functions.

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Although reluctant to enter into a full discussion on the proposals before the Committee, the United States delegation also made clear their attitude on several of the points raised. The veto power should continue to apply, they considered, to decisions on action to be taken in relation to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression. With this exception, they were favourably disposed towards limiting the application of the unanimity rule; it need not apply, for instance, to the pacific settlement of disputes or to the admission of new members. The present procedure could undoubtedly be made more flexible without amendment of the Charter. Mr. Gromyko (Soviet Union) and Dr. Manuilsky (Ukrainian S.S.R.) opposed the move to refer the problem to the " illegal" Interim Committee. Abolition of the veto, it was argued, would mean the end of the United Nations and pave the way to a new war. The Soviet Union had used the veto only to prevent decisions contrary to the Charter and to protect the interests of small Powers. The views of the New Zealand Government had been expressed by Sir Carl Berendsen in the opening debate. In insisting upon the right of veto, he said, the great powers were making it completely impossible for the world to achieve its highest objective—an effective system of collective security against war. Such a system could not be achieved by words alone. No power, great or small, could obtain insurance against war without paying the premium of submission in the last resort to the combined judgment and conscience of the world. Great Powers could not retain their right to take their own course in all circumstances and at the same time expect the United Nations to be competent to enforce peace ; the two propositions were mutually exclusive. The Great Powers must, however, have their proportionate voice in the enforcement of peace. To this end the introduction of a system of weighted voting, which would be difficult but not impossible to devise, was worth consideration. In the meantime New Zealand would support the valuable proposals made by the United States, although these, unhappily, did not extend to the vital question of enforcement. She would support as a temporary compromise a veto by any two, instead of by any one, of the Great Powers. Indeed, she would support, as in the past, any proposal tending towards the moderation or elimination of the veto power. In spite of a renewed attack by Mr. Vyshinsky (Soviet Union), who warned that his country would continue to use the veto whenever it thought fit, the United States resolution was passed by 38 votes (including New Zealand) to 6, with 11 abstentions. Since by its terms the Argentinian and Chinese proposals would be refeired to the Interim Committee, they were withdrawn.

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3. Admission of New Members Yemen and Pakistan.—The admission of these States, which had been recommended by the Security Council, was approved unanimously. There was, however, some argument on the legal position resulting from the partition of India. It was decided that a member of the United Nations does not cease to be a member because of constitutional or frontier changes ; India's membership, therefore, was not affected by the partition. A new State, on the other hand, although its territory may previously have been part of the territory of a member State, had no automatic right to membership; consequently, the formal admission of Pakistan was necessary. Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Eire, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Outer Mongolia, Portugal, 'Koumania, and Trans-Jordan. —The Security Council had failed to recommend any of these States for admission. The applications of Eire, Finland, Italy, Portugal, and Trans-Jordan had been vetoed by the Soviet Union, while the remainder had failed to secure the necessary majority. The Soviet Union had stated that the qualifications of Italy and Finland were satisfactory, but that these States and the other ex-enemy countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, and Roumania) must, in accordance with the terms of the Potsdam Agreement, be admitted simultaneously. The United States and United Kingdom, however, argued that the Potsdam Agreement merely enabled the applications of these States to be supported, and that the signatories were then entitled to consider each application in the light of the Charter requirements (Article 4 (1) ). In the Assembly the Soviet attitude was strongly criticized, but although the remaining four permanent members of the Security Council offered to forgo their right to veto membership applications the Soviet Union refused to do likewise. While the contention that the Assembly had the right to admit applicants irrespective of the Security Council's recommendation was rejected as legally inadmissible, it was agreed to request the International Court of Justice to advise whether a member is juridically entitled to vote against the admission of a State on grounds not expressly prescribed in Article 4 (1), or to make the simultaneous admission of other States a condition of its affirmative vote. Resolutions were also passed recommending the Security Council to reconsider the applications of Austria, Eire, Finland, Portugal, Trans-Jordan, and Italy (the last two before the end of the current Assembly session) in the light of the Assembly's opinion that these States fulfilled the Charter requirements for membership. The New Zealand delegation supported all these resolutions, except that relating to Austria; it was not considered that an occupied country with which there was as yet no peace treaty could be properly admitted.

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A Polish proposal calling on the permanent members of the Security Council to seek agreement among themselves on the unsuccessful applications was also adopted. i SECOND AND THIRD COMMITTEES Discussions in the Second (Economic and Financial) and Third (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural) Committees provided an opportunity for a survey of the year's work of the Economic and Social Council. Some delegations criticized the pre-occupation of the Council with questions of organization. Others, including New Zealand, maintained that good progress had been made under difficult conditions and stressed the basic importance of the work of the United Nations in the economic and social fields. Several important questions arose in the discussions of economic matters in the Second Committee. It was recommended that the Council should regularly survey world economic conditions and trends as an essential feature of its responsibility to promote higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress. A Polish resolution, which was defeated, would have called on members to use the machinery of the United Nations to settle fundamental international economic problems and not to set up independent machinery—an obvious attack on the Marshall plan. Similar criticism developed on the discussion of post-UNRRA relief activities. The problem of regional economic organization arose from the debate on a proposal that the Economic and Social Council should consider the establishment of an Economic Commission for the Middle East, similar to the Economic Commissions for Europe and for Asia and the Far East, already established, and the Commission for Latin America, then under consideration. Some countries, including New Zealand, have felt that the question of regional economic organizations requires further study lest they conflict with the specialized agencies, which have functional economic tasks. The resolution, was, however, carried. The Third Committee considered a wide variety of social problems. The discussion on the protection of trade-union rights developed into a controversy upon the respective responsibilities of the International Labour Organization and the World Federation of Trade Unions. The New Zealand delegate, in supporting the competence of the ILO, took the opportunity of expressing appreciation of the services rendered in the past by that Organization. A Soviet resolution criticizing the conduct of displaced persons' camps led to criticism of the treatment accorded to those persons in Western countries which had accepted them for resettlement. These charges were refuted, and the Soviet resolution defeated.

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Other items considered in the Third Committee included transfer to the United Nations of the functions and powers previously exercised by the League of Nations under the International Conventions on Traffic in Women and Children ; a resolution to promote the teaching in schools of the purposes and principles of the United Nations ; a resolution aimed at fostering an interchange of workers between nations ; preparations for the conference on freedom of information and the press ; a resolution urging members to ratify the Constitution of the World Health Organization (the Constitution of which has since come into force) ; consideration of the social welfare services provided by the United Nations and of the work of the International Children's Emergency Fund. The Second and Third Committees met together to consider how best to co-ordinate the work of the United Nations and the specialized agencies and thus prevent overlapping in their activities and unnecessary expense to members. Various proposals led to the adoption, virtually unanimously, of a resolution which called on members to ensure that policy was co-ordinated at the national level and which asked specialized agencies to submit reports, programmes, and budgetary estimates to the Secretary-General of the United Nations each year. The resolution also asked the SecretaryGeneral to report to the Council and the Assembly on ways of co-ordinating and presenting more uniformly the budgets of the United Nations and the specialized agencies. The discussion of this resolution involved the question of the approval of the agreements negotiated by the Council with various specialized agencies. Opinions were divided as to the adequacy of some of these agreements, particularly those with the International Bank and the International Monetary Fund. All, however, were approved. FOURTH COMMITTEE The following were the main questions considered by the Fourth (Trusteeship) Committee'.— 1. Report of the Trusteeship Council The Fourth Committee discussed the report of the first session of the Trusteeship Council held in March-April, 1947, which had been devoted to preliminary organizational work. Of prime importance to New Zealand was the sending of a special mission to Western Samoa, during the general discussion of its report many delegates referred to the constructive attitude of the Council, stressed the importance of the Mission to Western Samoa, and stated that they looked forward with great interest to the publication of the Mission's report.

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The Soviet Union, which had not taken its seat at the first session of the Council, reiterated its insistence that the Trusteeship Council was unconstitutional and, at its first session, irregular in approving the eight trusteeship agreements. The Soviet bloc disagreed with certain of the Rules of Procedure, and proposed amendments which were aimed at increasing the powers of the Trusteeship Council beyond those conferred on it by the Charter. Sir Carl Berendsen, as Chairman, pointed out that the Committee could not alter the Rules of Procedure of the Council, but could transmit its views as recommendations to the Council through the General Assembly. Eventually it was decided that all comments on the report of the Trusteeship Council should be transmitted to it for future consideration. 2. Proposed Trusteeship Agreements (a) South-west Africa. —Through their representative, the South African Government stated that they would not proceed with the incorporation of South-west Africa within the Union, but they could not submit a trusteeship agreement for the territory because the overwhelming majority of inhabitants continued to be in favour of incorporation. The Union would continue to maintain the status quo by administering the territory in the spirit of the League of Nations mandate and would also transmit to the United Nations for its information an annual report on the administration of the territory. The right of the inhabitants to submit petitions to United Nations was denied on the grounds that such a right implied supervision by United Nations. In the general debate which then followed the New Zealand representative, Sir Carl Berendsen, recalling the New Zealand Government's consistent attitude in supporting the international supervision of backward peoples, supported the view that a strong moral obligation lay on the Union to submit a trusteeship agreement for South-west Africa. All delegations except one were in agreement that trusteeship was the most desirable solution for South-west Africa. Draft resolutions were then submitted by Denmark and India, and, after considerable amendment, the Indian resolution calling for the submission of a trusteeship agreement for consideration by the third regular session of the Assembly was adopted by 27 to 20, with 4 abstentions. New Zealand voted against this resolution on the grounds that it virtually constituted an ultimatum which, considering the state of public opinion in the Union, could only weaken the chance of persuading the South African Government to submit an

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agreement. In plenary session, where New Zealand abstained from voting, the resolution was approved by a vote of 41 to 10 with 4 abstentions. (b) Nauru.—The action of the Australian, New Zealand, and United Kingdom Governments in submitting a draft trusteeship agreement for the Island of Nauru was generally appreciated, and following the precedent of the previous year, a sub-committee was established to examine it in detail. Few modifications were proposed in view of the satisfactory explanations of the Australian, New Zealand, and United Kingdom delegations on the terms and implications of the draft. The Soviet Union, supported by Yugoslavia, reiterated last year's arguments that the agreement violated the Charter, but, with a few modifications, the draft was eventually approved in full Committee and later in plenary session of the General Assembly by a vote of 46 to 6 (Byelo-Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Ukraine, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia), with 1 abstention (Siam). 3. Trusteeship for Non- self-governing Territories The Indian delegation again urged that administering authorities should place some or all of their non-self-governing territories under trusteeship as being the quickest way to promote the self-government of dependent peoples. Opposition to the Indian resolution, although not to the objective of early self-government, was led by the United Kingdom, whose representative stated that there was no evidence that the trusteeship system provided a better system than that provided by Chapter XI of the Charter, and by the United States, whose representative considered the Indian resolution to be vulnerable in principle by its omission to request that ex-enemy territories should be brought within the trusteeship system. In Committee the resolution, with amendments, was adopted by a vote of 25 to 23, with 3 abstentions. Before the General. Assembly, where by Article 18 it required a two-thirds majority, the resolution was defeated by a vote of 26 to 24, with 1 abstention. New Zealand voted against the resolution on the grounds that, while there was no objection in principle, the terms in which it was couched would have the reverse effect from that desired. 4. Information from Non-self-governing Territories Under the terms of Chapter XI of the Charter member States administering non-self-governing territories agree to transmit information relating to the economic, social, and educational conditions in their territories. The General Assembly, by resolution of 14 December, 1946, requested the Secretary-General to summarize,

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analyse, and classify this information; it also established an ad hoc Committee to examine the Secretary-General's summaries and make recommendations relating to these matters. This ad hoc Committee, of which Sir Carl Berendsen was Chairman, submitted five draft resolutions for the consideration of the Fourth Committee and the General Assembly. In the debate on the resolutions in the Fourth Committee the non-colonial Powers drastically amended them so that their final form implied a moral censure on the colonial powers. But the General Assembly plenary session reversed the decisions of the Fourth Committee and, without exception, approved the resolutions proposed by the ad hoc Committee. This result was in some measure due to the determined stand made by Sir Carl Berendsen, who said that, though the Fourth Committee had carried out its task in a more encouraging and less acrimonious manner than last year it had at times lapsed into irresponsibility. He defended and urged the adoption of the decisions reached by the ad hoc Committee as reasonable compromises resulting from co-operation between administering and non-administering powers. The first resolution invited member States to make use of a standard form as a basis for the preparation of information from non-self-governing territories. The second resolution dealt with the use which the Secretary-General might be authorized to make of official supplementary information, and included a paragraph permitting the Secretary-General to make comparisons between conditions prevailing in non-self-governing territories and Sovereign States within a common geographical region. The New Zealand representative, Sir Carl Berendsen, spoke strongly against a proposed alternative that the comparison should be between non-self-governing territories and their metropolitan areas. He considered such a comparison worthless. The third resolution noted that some administering powers had voluntarily included political information and considered that this practice should be encouraged. The Soviet Union had sought to make the inclusion of such information obligatory on the administering powers. Th & fourth resolution related to the collaboration between specialized agencies and the SecretaryGeneral in the matter of information transmitted. The fifth and most important resolution created a special Committee to replace the ad hoc Committee and to consist of representatives of the eight administering powers (of which New Zealand is one) and of eight elected members to be chosen by the Fourth Committee. At a subsequent meeting of Committee Four the elected members were China, India, Soviet Union, Egypt, Cuba, Sweden, and Nicaragua.

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It was decided that this special Committee should meet at a date to be fixed by the Secretary-General not less than two weeks before the third regular session of the General Assembly. FIFTH COMMITTEE The Fifth (Administrative and Budgetary) Committee gave most consideration to the following six questions : 1. Budget The Secretary-General's original 1948 estimate was $39,403,792. On the advice of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, however, the estimates were subsequently reduced substantially to $34,499,762. An initial motion by the United Kingdom delegation for a $30,000,000 ceiling was rejected by 27 votes to 21. New Zealand voted with the majority, contending that important reductions must proceed from policy decisions of the Assembly, which initiated expenditure, and that the Secretariat, which had no authority to decide policy, could not fairly be asked to keep within an arbitrary figure. New Zealand, however, supported the establishment of priorities; while security and economic reconstruction clearly came first, certain other projects would benefit, quite apart from the question of economy, from a period of delay. The 1948 budget as finally approved totalled $34,825,195. A supplementary appropriation of $876,568 for 1947 was also approved. 2. Scale of Contributions No radical alteration was made in the scale of contributions adopted in 1947. The United States agreed to accept the same assessment (39*89 per cent.), but reiterated their view that ability to pay should not be the only criterion and that the General Assembly should establish a maximum and minimum limit for contributions, with due regard to the principle of the sovereign equality of members. The New Zealand contribution remained unchanged at o*so per cent. Provision was made for the optional payment of a proportion of members' 1948 contributions in currencies other than United States dollars. 3. Cost of holding the Third ULegular Session in "Europe A proposal advanced by France and Sweden that the next regular session of the Assembly should be held in Europe was criticized by the New Zealand delegate (Mr. Thorn) on both administrative and

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financial grounds, and New Zealand was one of the minority which voted against it. The Assembly decided to include in the 1948 estimates the sum of $1,047,875 to meet the additional cost of a European session. 4. Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations The cost of constructing permanent headquarters was reported to be $65,000,000. The Assembly decided to accept a United States offer to lend this sum to the United Nations free of interest. The loan would be for a term of not less than thirty years, and would be repayable in annual instalments from the ordinary budget, beginning in 1951. It was hoped that construction would be sufficiently advanced to enable the buildings to be used for the fourth regular session in 1949. 5. Taxation Equalisation The Secretary-General advised that only fourteen States had complied with the request made by the Assembly at its previous session that States should exempt salaries and allowances paid by the Organization from taxation. The sum of $500,000 was therefore included in the 1948 estimates for the reimbursement to staff of national taxation. Most of this sum would be paid to United States nationals, and there was criticism of the United States' failure to grant immunity to American employees of the Organization. However, a proposal providing that member States' contributions should be increased by the sums required to reimburse their nationals was dropped in favour of an alternative proposal calling for the submission to the next session of a staff contributions plan. 6. International Meetings Concern was expressed at the large number of United Nations meetings set down for the near future, many members feeling that the proposed programme would place an undue strain on their resources both of hard currency and of trained personnel. It was at first proposed to limit the programme of meetings by refusing to recommend the necessary appropriations for particular conferences, but it was eventually decided to set total figures for meetings within which the various Councils could themselves fix priorities. The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions was asked to consult with the Interim Committee on Programmes of Meetings of the Economic and Social Council and report to the next session of the Assembly on the problem of programme planning and priorities.

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SIXTH COMMITTEE The chief questions considered by the Sixth ("Legal) Committee were : 1. "Progressive Development of International Law and its Codification The Committee appointed by the previous session of the General Assembly to consider ways and means for the development and codification of international law recommended the establishment of an International Law Commission of fifteen members to be elected by the Security Council and the General Assembly in the same way as Judges of the International Court of Justice. The United States representative proposed that the Commission should consist of fewer members, should be appointed by the Assembly alone, and should serve on a part-time basis ; a group of specialists in international law should be developed within the United Nations Secretariat to work under the Commission's supervision. Both the United Kingdom and Soviet Union representatives advocated delay in the establishment of the Commission. The resolution eventually adopted provided for the establishment of a fifteenmember Commission, to be elected by the General Assembly at its third regular session for a three-year term, and directed the SecretaryGeneral to carry out the necessary preparatory work in the interval. 2. The Crime of Genocide In accordance with a resolution passed at the previous session of the Assembly, the Economic and Social Council submitted a draft convention on genocide. The United Kingdom representative questioned the desirability of such a convention. If a number of States did not adhere to it, doubt would be cast on the criminality of genocide, which was already clearly established. He thought the convention unrealistic, since the real sanction against genocide was war. Accordingly, the Assembly should reaffirm that genocide was a crime and should ask the International Law Commission, when established, to consider whether a convention was desirable or necessary. It was finally decided, however, to request the Economic and Social Council to proceed with the completion of the convention, taking into account that the International Law Commission had been charged with the formulation of the principles recognized in the Charter of the Nuremburg Tribunal and the preparation of a draft code of offences against peace and security. The Council should not await the comments of all members before commencing this task, which should be completed in time for the Assembly to consider the convention at its next session.

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3. United Nations Day and United Nations Flag It was resolved that 24 October, the anniversary of the signing of the Charter, should be officially observed as " United Nations Day," and that the United Nations should adopt a distinctive flag consisting of the official United Nations Emblem on a light-blue ground. 4. Surrender of War Criminals, Traitors, and Quislings The representative of Yugoslavia asserted that the resolution passed at the previous session on this subject had been wilfully disregarded by the control authorities of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France in occupied territories; very few war criminals had been handed over for trial in Yugoslavia, and many of them were holding official positions under the Allied military authorities. Both the United States and the United Kingdom denied any reluctance to extradite war criminals, but declared that a prima facie case must be established before any person was handed over to another nation for trial. A Yugoslav resolution which, by implication, censured certain Governments for failing to extradite war criminals was defeated by a large majority, and in its place a United Kingdom resolution laying emphasis on the need for prima facie evidence of guilt was adopted. 5. Need for Greater Use of International Court of Justice The Assembly adopted: (a) an Australian resolution recommending that organs of the United Nations and specialized agencies should refer to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion any difficult and important points of law arising from their activities which involved questions of principle, including questions relating to the interpretation of the Charter or the Constitutions of the specialized agencies; and (b) a joint Franco-Iranian proposal recommending States to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court in legal disputes and to insert in treaties arbitration clauses providing for the submission to the Court of disputes arising from the interpretation or application of such treaties. 6. Agreement concerning the Headquarters of United Nations This Agreement, which had been executed by the Secretary of State of the United States and the Secretary-General of the United Nations in June, 1947, and approved shortly afterwards by the United States Congress, was ratified by the General Assembly.

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AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE A note on the discussions of this Committee will be found in the portion of the Middle East section of this report which deals with Palestine. (B) Interim Committee of the General Assembly (" Little Assembly ") The Charter of the United Nations charges the Security Council with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. But the Charter also gives to the General Assembly a definite, though secondary, responsibility in this field and, in addition, charges it with certain other political functions. Various specialized agencies, like the Economic and Social Council, have been established to assist the Assembly to discharge in detail the non-political responsibilities given to it in the Charter. Its important political and security functions, however, were left to be dealt with only once a year at the Assembly's regular sessions ; and in these crowded sessions there has been an inevitable tendency merely to skim over such complicated questions. Had the Security Council worked in the way envisaged by those who framed the Charter at San Francisco, standing Assembly to deal with political and security measures might not have been needed. The negative results of the Security Council's work, however, convinced many States that the Assembly should play a more positive part in these fields. The United States delegate, Mr. Marshall, therefore met with considerable support when, at the opening of the Assembly's second regular session, he proposed the establishment of a Standing Committee of the General Assembly. The New Zealand delegate supported the proposal, stating, inter alia, that it was not only the right but the duty of the Assembly to take into account the paralysis induced in the Security Council by the use of the veto. From the United States proposals and a number of alternative proposals and amendments a compromise resolution was evolved which was adopted by 43 votes to 6 (the Slav States) with 6 abstentions (the Arab States). This resolution provided for an Interim Committee of the General Assembly having six functions : (1) to consider and report to the Assembly on matters which might from time to time be referred to it by the Assembly. Later the Interim Committee was asked to study the veto and to consult, if necessary, with the Assembly's Commission on Korea; (2) to consider and report to the Assembly on questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, provided the Assembly was itself empowered to consider them, and provided that the Committee first determined them to be both important and requiring further study;

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(3) to consider and report to the Assembly on the methods to be adopted to give effect to the Charter provisions for the study of methods of conciliation for the maintenance of peace; (4) to consider whether a special session of the Assembly should at any time be called to consider a particular matter; (5) to conduct investigations and appoint commissions of inquiry provided the consent is obtained of the State in whose territory the inquiry is to take place ; (6) to report to the Assembly on the desirability of making the Interim Committee permanent. That the Interim Committee was to have no more power than its parent body, the Assembly, vis-a-vis the Security Council and was to have the same rules of voting as the Assembly (two-thirds on substantive issues, not simple majority as some desired) was a cause of disappointment to a few delegations ; but these provisions were recognized, except by the Soviet group, to be persuasive evidence of the constitutionality of the Interim Committee. The representatives of the Soviet Union and the Slav countries attacked the proposal as " a flagrant violation of the Charter " —a scheme to substitute for and to by-pass the Security Council and to undermine the very basis of the United Nations—namely, the rule of unanimity between the Great Powers ; and they made it clear that they would boycott this " unconstitutional " body. The Interim Committee (attended by all members of the United Nations except the Slav group) met twice in January, four times in February, and three times in March. The discussions on Korea are noted elsewhere in this report; in addition, the following subjects were considered : {a) voting in the Security Council; (b) principles of international co-operation, including the peaceful settlement of disputes; (c) the advisability of making the Interim Committee permanent. The detailed work on these questions has been entrusted to sub-committees, on which New Zealand, owing to the small size of its staffs at New York and Washington, has unfortunately not been able to be represented. (a) Voting in the Security Council (" The Veto ") The Interim Committee was asked by the General Assembly to consider the problem of voting in the Security Council, taking into account all proposals made by members ; to consult with a Committee of the Security Council; and to report its conclusions to the third regular session of the General Assembly. Nine States made proposals which ranged from those of Argentina (for a conference to revise the Charter) and New Zealand (for revising the Charter to give the veto only to any two of the Great Powers rather than to any one) to the milder proposal of the United Kingdom for a " gentleman's agreement" among the Great Powers.

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In conveying their proposal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the New Zealand Government reaffirmed their objections to the veto, their view that in practice it had prevented the establishment of an effective system of collective security against aggression, and their conviction that this in turn had done much to undermine confidence in the capacity of the United Nations to achieve its primary purposes. They also stated that they would support any proposals designed to eliminate or modify the existing provisions of the Charter requiring the unanimity of the permanent members of the Security Council. The Interim Committee set up a seventeen-member sub-committee which is making an exhaustive study of the occasions when the veto can be used under the Charter, and of whether there are possible methods—apart from an improvement in relations among the Great Powers, which would naturally be reflected in decreased use of the veto —of reducing the number of occasions for using the veto. The sub-committee was asked to report to the Interim Committee by 15 May. (b) Principles of International Co-operation The Interim Committee set up a sub-committee which has planned a long-term study of the basic principles and methods of international co-operation for the maintenance of peace and security; up to the present a good deal of its attention has been concentrated on past and possible future methods of peaceful settlement of disputes. (c) Future of the Interim Committee To assist it in considering whether there should be a permanent standing committee of the General Assembly the Interim Committee has set up two sub-committees : the first is examining what an Interim Committee might do to facilitate the meetings of the General Assembly by sorting out and annotating the items proposed for the Assembly's agenda ; the second is considering what an Interim Committee might usefully do to see that the resolutions passed by the General Assembly are fulfilled in practice. 2. The Security Council Under the Charter the Security Council has the primary responsibility for keeping world peace; it is so organized as to be able to function continuously. The Council consists of five permanent members and six non-permanent members selected for two-year terms by the Assembly at its regular annual session. Non-permanent members are not eligible for immediate re-election. With the replacement of Australia, Brazil, and Poland as from 1 January, 1948,

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by Argentina, Canada, and the Ukrainian S.S.R. (the latter after a long contest with India), the composition of the Security Council will be—Vermanent Members: China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Non-permanent Members: Belgium, Colombia, Syria (until 31 December, 1948); Argentina, Canada, and the Ukrainian S.S.R. (until 31 December, 1949). Though not at present a member of the Security Council, New Zealand receives the Council's chief documents, including the verbatim records of its meetings. The questions raised in the Council are of the greatest importance for world peace and security and affect all members of the United Nations ; the Department, therefore, follows its deliberations with close attention. During the period under review some of the major questions of which the Security Council was seized—though long discussions often produced little positive result—were : Special agreements under Article 43 of the Charter; the organization of the United Nations Armed Forces ; the general regulation and reduction of armaments ; and information on the armed forces of the United Nations. The Greek question : Greek complaints of frontier violations by Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. British complaints concerning the laying of mines in Corfu channel. The Indonesian question: Indian and Australian requests that the Council should take immediate action to restore international peace and security. The Palestine question, including the action to be taken to fulfil the General Assembly's resolution of 29 November, 1947. The Egyptian question : complaint by Egypt concerning the maintenance of British troops in Egyptian territory, and also concerning British policy in the Sudan. The India-Pakistan question, arising from India's letter drawing the attention of the Council to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Czechoslovakian situation: request by Chile that the Council investigate whether the events which led to the establishment of a Communist Government in Czechoslovakia constituted a threat to international peace and security. Appointment of a Governor of the Free Territory of Trieste, a duty allotted to the Security Council by the peace treaty with Italy. Question of voting in the Security Council, raised as a result of the General Assembly's resolutions of 13 December, 1946, and 21 November, 1947. Admission of new members to the Organization.

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Some of the questions (for example, Greece and Palestine) on which New Zealand took a position are recorded in more detail elsewhere in this report. 3. The Economic and Social Council (a) 'Economic and Social Council Under the Charter of the United Nations the Economic and Social Council has responsibility, under the authority of the General Assembly, for promoting—{a) Higher standards of living, full employment and conditions of economic and social progress and development; (b) Solution of international economic, social, health, and related problems; and international cultural and educational co-operation; and (c) Universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedom for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. New Zealand's three year term as a member of the Council commenced on 1 January, 1947. The proceedings of the fourth session (February-March, 1947), the first following New Zealand's appointment, are covered in the last annual report. The fifth session was held in. July-August, 1947, and the sixth in February-March, 1948. To assist it in discharging its many responsibilities in the economic and social field, the Council has established nine functional commissions, dealing respectively with Narcotics, Human Rights, Economic and Employment Matters, Transport and Communications, Social Matters, Statistics, Population, Fiscal Matters, and the Status of Women. These commissions, to which selected Governments appoint persons expert in the particular fields, are advisory to the Council and make detailed recommendations to the Council within their terms of reference. Consideration of the reports of these Commissions forms an important feature of the work of the Council. The Council has also established certain regional Economic Commissions. The work of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) is covered in a separate note later. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), established in March, 1947, held its first session in Geneva in May of that year. Its organization reflects the highly-industrialized and closely interdependent character of the European economy, and also the fact that it has concentrated on essential practical problems. It has set up a series of committees, dealing with electric power, inland transport, coal and other questions, and, in many cases, sub-committees have

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also been appointed to direct attention particularly to key products. The Secretariat of the Commission has shown undoubted competence, and the members of the Commission (all European members of United Nations and the United States are members) have regularly appointed experts to serve on the committees, sub-committees, and working parties. Although it has been in operation for barely one year, the Commission has made a valuable contribution in a number of essential matters concerned with the reconstruction of the European economy—e.g., the allocation of coal and the promotion of freedom of movement for different forms of inland transport. The Commission has taken over the work of previously existing bodies such as the European Coal Organization and the European Central Inland Transport Organization. At its fifth session the Council considered a proposal, put forward by Chile, for a further regional economic commission, the Economic Commission for Latin America. ECE and ECAFE arose essentially out of conditions of war devastation. It was proposed that the Commission for Latin America should be concerned rather with problems of development, although there were many indirect effects of the war to be taken into account. Consideration of this proposal in the Council raised serious problems of the relationship of Regional Economic Commissions to the work of the Specialized Agencies — e.g., the International Labour Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The New Zealand delegation was one of those which urged caution in proceeding with the establishment of regional commissions until the fundamental problems involved in their organization had been considered. The majority, however, favoured the establishment of the Commission for Latin America, and the Council, at its sixth session, after reviewing the report of a special committee established at its fifth session, set up a Commission with headquarters in Chile. At its sixth session the Council also established a Committee to consider a proposal advanced by Lebanon for an Economic Commission for the Middle East. Although action was taken on these proposals, a majority of the Council appreciated the significance of the issues involved and- accepted a proposal that the Economic and Employment Commission should examine the whole problem. In any case, the Regional Economic Commissions must report regularly on their work to the Council, and in 1951 the Council is scheduled to undertake a comprehensive survey of the work of the Regional Commissions. A place of particular importance in the economic and social field is occupied by the specialized agencies—the international intergovernmental organizations having wide responsibility in economic, social, and related matters, which are brought into relationship

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with the United Nations through agreements defining the basis for their mutual co-operation. It is one of the responsibilities of the Council to " make recommendations for the co-ordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies." To date, agreements have been approved with nine specialized agencies, and certain other agreements are now under consideration. These agreements are not standard in form, but are the result of negotiations in each case between the Council and the agency concerned, and reflect the varying interests of the agencies. In some cases serious questions have been raised as to the adequacy of the agreements, but up to the present time all the agreements negotiated by the Council with the Agencies have been approved by the General Assembly. Co-ordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies and of the United Nations represents an essential feature of the work of the Economic and Social Council if duplication of functions is to be avoided. It is also important if maximum efficiency in international action is to be achieved. The Council at its sixth session particularly gave detailed consideration to the problems involved, and the procedure for co-ordination has now been clarified. Each of the agencies will present to the Council each year a comprehensive report on its activities over the past year and its plans for the coming year. Study of these by the Council provides the basis for recommendations, where necessary, for closer cooperation between the different agencies. In addition, a Committee comprising the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the administrative heads of all the specialized agencies meets regularly to consider the progressive development of co-ordination. This Committee has available to it the services of a number of consultative committees dealing with particular matters —e.g., Statistics, Personnel, &c. Finally, there are procedures for promoting standardization of budget procedures, and the budgets of all the specialized agencies are presented to the United Nations for consideration and such recommendations as the General Assembly sees fit. One aspect of co-ordinated international action arose at the sixth session from the request of FAO that the Council should consider steps to alleviate the world food crisis. FAO outlined the present position and the action it had taken within its specialized field, but pointed out that, if the crisis was to be met, action was required beyond the jurisdiction of FAO, since many of the bottlenecks impeding food production—e.g., lack of farm machinery, fertilizers, questions of balance of payments, transport facilities, &c. —lay outside FAO's sphere of activity. The Organization accordingly asked the Council to promote international action to deal with these bottlenecks. After discussing the matter, the Council adopted a

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resolution urging all members to take appropriate action individually" and in co-operation with FAO and the other international organizations concerned, inviting the attention of the specialized agencies and the regional commissions to certain aspects of the problem, and arranging for the necessary reports to come to it at a later session so that the effectiveness of action in different fields could be considered and any further necessary action taken. Particular importance centred during the sixth session of the Council on the discussion of the world economic situation. The Council had previously given consideration to various international economic problems arising under different items of its agenda, and in particular on the reports of the Economic and Employment Commission, which has the responsibility of advising the Council on general economic matters. In the main, these previous discussions have not, however, focused attention on the over-all world situation. At the sixth session the discussion was based on reports prepared by the United Nations Secretariat in co-operation with the Secretariats of the specialized agencies and, particularly, on a report tracing the salient features of world economic conditions and trends from 1945 to 1947. This report highlighted the achievements, the failures, and the continuing difficulties of the world situation. Unfortunately, the report was not issued until after the Council had convened, a fact which imposed some limitations on the extent of the discussion. It was generally accepted that the report was a competent one, but various delegates questioned certain of the conclusions reached by the Secretariat—e.g., that the year 1947 had been a year of " frustrated hopes." Attention was given particularly to the form of subsequent reports, which it is anticipated will be issued yearly. Such a comprehensive survey once a year of the world economic situation should in future constitute a valuable feature of international action in the economic field, pointing as it will to the particular problems which require concerted action for their solution. The sixth session of the Council was called on to deal with a claim by Yugoslavia that the United States of America was withholding gold reserves lodged in the United States prior to the Nazi attack, and asking the Council to direct the United States to return these reserves to Yugoslavia. The Council decided that it could not examine the substance of the matter without being led into consideration of the different aspects of the dispute between the United States and Yugoslavia, that it had no competence to take cognizance of these aspects because of the juridical issues involved, and that the matter accordingly did not fall within the competence of the Council. Both the fifth and sixth sessions of the Council had before them the question of the proposed Convention on Genocide, defined by the General Assembly as " the denial of the right of existence of entire

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human groups." The Council appointed a committee to consider in detail the draft convention prepared by the Secretariat with the assistance of certain experts, and to report to the seventh session of the Council. The matter will then probably be referred to the next session of the General Assembly. Many other questions dealt with at the fifth and sixth sessions have been referred to under other headings—e.g., the protection of trade-union rights, preparations for the Conference on Freedom of Information, reports of the International Children's Emergency Fund, &c. The Council also examined and referred to the General Assembly protocols providing for the transfer to the United Nations of the functions previously exercised by the League of Nations under the international conventions on traffic in women and children and obscene publications ; elected the members of the Permanent Central Opium Board; concluded the necessary arrangements for the convening of the International Conference on Trade and Employment at Havana; and dealt with essential questions of procedure. Finally, the Council, at its fifth and sixth sessions, considered the reports from its functional commissions. Some of these have been referred to above ; those with which New Zealand is particularly concerned are mentioned in separate notes later. The following notes outline certain of the matters considered by the other Commissions, except the Transport and Communications Commission, which did not meet within the year under review in this report. The Commission on Human Rights gave consideration at its second session to questions of the protection of minorities and the present validity of earlier treaties on minorities, the protection of stateless persons, and similar questions. Essentially, however, this Commission has been concerned with drafting an International Bill of Human Rights. The Charter of the United Nations contains many references to " human rights and fundamental freedoms." At its second session the Commission completed drafts of an International Bill of Human Rights comprising a declaration, a covenant, and certain proposals for implementation. The declaration is intended as a short statement defining the essence of each right and freedom without, however, imposing any obligations on States members of the United Nations. The covenant will be drafted in much more detail and will set out precisely the rights and freedoms, with the limitations on each, to which persons are entitled; it would have the status of a treaty and be ratified by member States. The proposals for implementation cover the questions of procedure for handling the regular flow of communications to United Nations on matters

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related to human rights, the study of petitions, and the final international jurisdiction, for which the establishment of an International Court of Human Rights has been proposed. The report of the second session of the Human Rights Commission was referred to Governments for comments. The proposals contained in the report were examined in detail, and a statement of New Zealand views on the report was forwarded to the Secretary-General of United Nations. The comments of the different Governments will now go through a procedure of further consideration by the Commission, the Economic and Social Council, and the General Assembly. It will be appreciated that the drafting of an International Bill of Human Rights is a problem of great complexity, in view of the varying philosophical ideas current in different parts of the world. Action for the protection of human rights through the United Nations will involve a considerable extension of the previously conceived scope of international jurisdiction. At its second session (January, 1948) the Commission on the Status of Women considered the replies received from Governments to a questionnaire on the rights of women. New Zealand forwarded a comprehensive reply to this question, but it was found that some Governments had not complied with the request for information. On the basis of the information already available, the Commission considered what action should be taken to ensure the granting to women of such rights as the franchise in those countries where this is still not extended. The Commission also considered questions of educational and economic rights and opportunities for women, and problems associated with varying nationality laws. It also proposed certain amendments to the provisions of the draft Declaration and Covenant on Human Rights. There is a long history of international action in the field of the control of traffic in narcotic drugs. Responsibility for certain functions under the international conventions has now passed from the League of Nations to the United Nations. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is both the advisory organ to the Council in its task of planning and supervising the application of these Conventions and at the same time the policy-formulating body on all questions relating to the control of narcotic drugs. In addition, it has certain supervisory functions under the Conventions and is the appointing authority for one member of the Supervisory Body, and one of the three experts appointed from time to time under the 1931 Convention to decide on control of substances capable of being converted into habit-forming drugs. The Commission regularly surveys the annual reports from Governments and has also considered such matters as the disposition of surplus military stores of narcotics and the control

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of the traffic in narcotics in Japan and Germany. One question of outstanding importance at its second session was the control of synthetic drugs capable of inducing addiction. It was clear that the production of these synthetic drugs constituted a threat to the whole system of international action built up over a number of years, and a protocol to bring these new drugs under international control is at present under consideration. The Statistical Commission has taken action to ensure the maintenance of the activities of the League of Nations in the statistical field. To avoid duplication of statistical questionnaires to Governments it has proposed a procedure for prior consultation between the United Nations and the specialized agencies before such questionnaires are despatched. A committee of the Commission is formulating proposals on standard international classifications. It has also given detailed consideration to the statistical activities of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to ensure their proper co-ordination, and has advised on the United Nations statistical publications. The Population Commission has tackled problems of basic data and standard methods, endeavouring to achieve a greater degree of international comparability in population statistics. Looking ahead to the national censuses to be taken in or around 1950, the Commission has provided for a mutual exchange of census plans and has drawn up a standard minimum list of subjects which it is recommended should be covered by each census and on which it hopes to achieve a maximum of comparability. It has launched projects designed to provide factual information on the world's population and special analyses of the populations of trust territories, and has planned a demographic year book, publication of which will begin in 1948. It has taken the first steps towards securing comprehensive analyses of the inter-relations of demographic, social, and economic change as a basis for its subsequent consideration of international problems of population policy, aiming to provide plans by which member States can study, first, the inter-play of economic, social, and demographic factors hindering the attainment of an adequate standard of living and cultural development, and, secondly, the rate of population change which is economically and socially most favourable. (b) Social Commission The second session of the Social Commission (28 August to 13 September, 1947), at which New Zealand was represented, had to deal with many problems associated with the work of the United Nations and the specialized agencies in the social field. The

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3—A 1

Commission outlined a set of principles to guide it in future in the important task of co-ordinating activities. It also established an Advisory Committee on Planning and Co-ordination to make recommendations on practical ways of achieving this co-ordination, and also of co-ordinating activities on urgent matters (particularly as regards family and child welfare) not falling within the competence of any specialized agency. In considering this decision the Sixth Session of the Economic and Social Council requested the Social Commission to submit a work programme, arranged in order of priority. The report of the Temporary Social Welfare Committee, established at the first session of the Commission, decided against recommending the establishment of a special sub-commission on child welfare. Questions of family and child welfare were, however, included by the Commission in the functions of the Advisory Committee on Planning and Co-ordination. In addition, the Commission recommended that the Secretary-General should continue the functions previously carried out by the League of Nations in the field of child welfare and social services and should carry out a series of investigations in this field. The Commission recommended the continuance during 1948 of the advisory social welfare services previously undertaken by UNRRA, the general opinion being that these services were making a valuable contribution towards overcoming shortages of technical personnel in war-damaged and under-developed countries. The cost of these services was debated at some length, and it was recommended that the question of participation by recipient countries in this cost should be constantly explored. After hearing reports on the proceedings of the Social Welfare Conference in the South-east Asian Area, held in Singapore in August, 1947, the Commission recommended the Secretary-General to initiate, in co-operation with the specialized agencies and the Trusteeship Council, a programme of studies into social problems in under-developed and economically under-privileged areas and territories. The question of housing and town and country planning was examined by a Committee under the chairmanship of the New Zealand delegate and, on their recommendation, the Commission accepted proposals defining the interests of the United Nations in this field and authorizing the holding of small meetings of experts on certain problems.

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The Secretary-General was requested to continue studies on the questions of prevention of crime and treatment of offenders, standards of living and migration, with a view to these problems being examined in more detail at the third session of the Commission. The report of the International Children's Emergency Fund was also considered. (V) Fiscal Commission It is the function of the Fiscal Commission to study and advise the Council in the field of public finance, more particularly in its legal, administrative, and technical aspects. It advises the Council and other Commissions on the fiscal implications of their recommendations, and in general co-operates in matters of common interest with other commissions and organs of the United Nations, including the specialized agencies. The first session of the Commission (May, 1947), at which New Zealand was represented by the late Dr. A. R. F. Mackay, formulated its future programme and dealt with essential matters of procedure. It outlined the steps necessary for the establishment of a comprehensive fiscal information service which will enable advice and assistance on fiscal questions to be given to organs of the United Nations, the specialized agencies, and member Governments. The League of Nations had initiated important work in this field, and it was decided to complete and publish certain studies which the League had under way. The Commission also recommended that the texts of treaties for the prevention of double taxation, and for mutual assistance in the collection of taxes and exchange of information, should be collected and published. The decisions of the Commission were approved, subject to the limits of available financial resources, by the Economic and Social Council in July, 1947. id) Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East In December, 1946, the General Assembly of United Nations recommended unanimously that the Economic and Social Council should set up economic commissions for Europe and for Asia and the Far East in order to give effective aid to countries devastated by war. At its Jjpurth session (February—March, 1947) the Council accordingly created two regional commissions as research, consultative, and advisory bodies operating under the general supervision of the Council, but with power to make recommendations direct to Governments. The terms of reference for these two commissions were almost identical, although there was general agreement in the Council discussions that problems of reconstruction in Asia would be intimately

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connected with questions of economic development. The Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East met for the first time in Shanghai in June, 1947. New Zealand's application for membership of ECAFE was considered at the second session of the Commission, held at Baguio (Philippine Republic) in November-December, 1947, and recommended unanimously. This recommendation came before the sixth session of the Council and was approved by seventeen votes to none, with New Zealand, as an interested party, abstaining. The Commission at its second session, at which New Zealand was represented in an observer role on the invitation of the Commission, established a Working Party on Industrial Development and a Working Group within the Secretariat to study trade promotion in the region. It discussed the problem of technical training, the provision of expert assistance, and a proposal for a Bureau of Flood Control. It recommended that FAO should convene a technical regional conference on timber production and also make a detailed study of food resources in the region. Plans were laid for the Secretariat to undertake statistical and economic documentation. Questions of organization and procedure loomed large in the Commission's discussions. Decisions were taken to establish and develop relations with the specialized agencies, with other organs of the United Nations, with the Allied Control Authorities in Japan and Korea, and with the Office of the Special Commission (now Commissioner-General) for South-east Asia. The admission of associate members gave rise to lengthy arguments. The terms of reference of the Commission, settled by the Economic and Social Council, provide that applications for associate membership, which carries full rights of participation other than the right to vote in plenary session, must be forwarded by the metropolitan power concerned, unless the territory in question has become responsible for its own international relations. The applications of Burma, Ceylon, Hong Kong, Malayan Union, Cambodia, and Laos were approved. (As a member of the United Nations, Burma is now a full member of the Commission.) No final decision was, however, reached on the two applications in respect of Indonesia presented separately by the Netherlands (for the whole of the Netherlands Indies) and by the Republic of Indonesia independently, nor with respect to Vietnam. (e) Freedom of Information Conference In December, 1946, the General Assembly of United Nations instructed the Economic and Social Council to convene a conference "to formulate its views concerning the rights, obligations, and practices which should be included in the concept of freedom of

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information." This conference met in Geneva from 23 March to 21 April, 1948. It was attended by delegates from fifty-four countries (including New Zealand), by observers from three other countries, from three, specialized agencies, and from five international nongovernmental organizations. The General Assembly resolution had declared that " freedom of information is a fundamental human right" implying " the right to gather, transmit, and publish news anywhere and everywhere without fetters." The resolution also declared that " freedom of information requires as an indispensable element the willingness and capacity to employ its privileges without abuse. It requires as a basic discipline the moral obligation to seek the facts without prejudice and to spread knowledge without malicious intent . . . Understanding and co-operation among nations are impossible without an alert and sound world opinion, which, in turn, is wholly dependent upon freedom of information." In the preparations for the conference and the translation of the above statements into the conference agenda, a fundamental cleavage of viewpoints developed. The Soviet Representatives at the ECOSOC Sub-Commission on Freedom of Information and of the press, and at ECOSOC and the General Assembly, repeatedly advanced proposals reflecting the Soviet attitude on the function of the press and the Soviet interpretation of the international situations—e.g., that the conference should consider, among basic principles to which all media of information should have regard, " the organization of a campaign for unmasking the vestiges of Fascism." These proposals were rejected, ECOSOC listing the following as fundamental principles : " {a) to speak the truth without prejudice and to spread knowledge without malicious intent; (b) to facilitate the solution of the economic, social, and humanitarian problems of the world as a whole through the free interchange of information bearing on such problems ; (c) to help promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion, and to combat any ideologies whose nature could endanger these rights and freedoms; (d) to help maintain international peace and security through understanding and co-operation between peoples and to combat forces which incite war, by removing bellicose influences from the media of information." Preparations for the conference, in which UNESCO collaborated, took up a considerable part of the time of two sessions of the SubCommission on Freedom of Information. The preliminary discussions in the Sub-Commission and in ECOSOC revealed, apart from the fundamental cleavage mentioned above, several divergencies

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in the views of the majority. Some considered that freedom of information implied the complete absence of restrictions. Others, including New Zealand, emphasized the need for the exercise by the press of a proper measure of responsibility. In spite of these •differences in viewpoints, the conference was able to achieve a considerable measure of agreement in its deliberations. In some cases resolutions were adopted unanimously—e.g., a resolution •condemning propaganda designed or likely to provoke or encourage any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression; condemning also all distortions of news, and appealing to the personnel of the press and other agencies of information to promote the aims of friendship, understanding, and peace. In the majority «of cases, however, there developed a division between the Soviet Union and the other countries of Eastern Europe on the one hand and the majority of the States represented at the conference on the other. The decisions of the conference fall into three divisions—first, three draft conventions were adopted for submission to ECOSOC and the General Assembly of United Nations. One deals with the entry and movement of foreign correspondents, their access of news and facilities for the despatch of news material, specifying the conditions under which censorship may be imposed on despatches. Another draft convention is designed to establish an international right of reply by a State which considers that news reports transmitted from one country to another are false or distorted and likely to injure its relations with other States. The third draft convention would require each contracting State, within limits specified, to secure to all persons within its territory freedom to impart and receive information and opinions. The conference also considered and proposed certain amendments to the clauses on freedom of information for inclusion in the International Bill of Human Rights currently under discussion in the United Nations. Finally, the conference adopted forty-three resolutions, covering general principles, measures to facilitate the gathering and international transmission of information, measures concerning the free publication and reception of information, continuing machinery to promote the free flow of information, and incidental questions. These resolutions dealt with such matters as the rights of foreign correspondents, censorship, the use of teleprinter lines, access to facilities for the international transmission of news, national news agencies in undeveloped countries, supplies of materials required for media of information, the laws of libel, monopolies, and the needs of war devastated countries.

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4. The Trusteeship Council The Trusteeship Council during the period under review has held three sessions : the first regular session in March-April, 1947, the second regular session in November-December, 1947, and the adjourned portion of the second session in February-March, 1948, to formulate a draft statute for the City of Jerusalem. Normally the Council meets in two regular sessions each year, the first to be convened during the latter half of June, the second during the latter half of November. At its first session the Council consisted of ten members, but the approval of a Trusteeship Agreement by the United States for the former Japanese Mandated Islands in the Pacific made it necessary to elect two non-administering Powers to restore the balance laid down by Article 86 of the Charter, and the membership of the second session numbered twelve. The actual number of members present during meetings of the Council was, however, only eleven since the U.S.S.R., maintaining that the Council was unconstitutional in accepting the eight Trusteeship Agreements in December, 1946, did not send a representative. The present members of the Council are six States administering trust territories (Australia, Belgium, France, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States of America), two States named by the Charter (China and U.S.S.R.), and four elected States (Iraq, Mexico, Philippines, and Costa Rica). The first session, at which the New Zealand representative, Sir Carl Berendsen, was elected Vice-President, was fully occupied with organizational matters such as the adoption of rules of procedure, formulation of a questionnaire which would form the basis of reports by administering authorities on their administration of trust territories, and the examination of petitions from trust territories, including one from representative leaders of Western Samoa asking for self-government. The New Zealand Government expressed its willingness to co-operate with the Trusteeship Council in having the petition from Western Samoa fully considered. The Council authorized the sending to Western Samoa of a special Mission comprising Mr. Francis B. Sayre (U.S.A.), Mr. P. Ryckmans (Belgium}, and Dr. Cruz-Coke (Chile). The second regular session considered the report and recommendations of the Mission to Western Samoa and petitions from the Ewe people in West Africa, examined annual reports submitted by administering authorities, made arrangements for a periodic mission to visit trust territories in Africa in July, 1948, and discussed the report submitted on South-west Africa by the Government of the Union of South Africa and the relationship between that territory and the Union. The legislation passed by the New Zealand Government providing

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for constitutional change in Western Samoa, and the annual report on Western Samoa were discussed and compared with the recommendations of the United Nations Mission. The Council expressed its satisfaction with the action taken by the New Zealand Government. During discussion of the annual report submitted by the Government of Australia on the administration of the Trust Territory of New Guinea, the Council expressed some criticism of the proposed Administrative Union of New Guinea and Papua and decided to defer consideration of this report until its next regular session. In its supervisory capacity the Council agreed on the sending of the first periodic visiting mission to the Trust Territory of Tanganyika and Ruanda Urundi in July, 1948. The Union of South Africa had submitted an annual report on South-west Africa without admitting the jurisdiction of the Council over the territory, the status of which the Union maintained was sui generis. The Government of the Union was invited to supplement the report by replying to some fifty questions drawn up by the Council. To sum up, in the words of Sir Carl Berendsen, the work of the Council in its first and second regular sessions : " The attitude of the representatives of administering and non-administering Powers alike was responsible and cooperative, and all evinced a keen desire to make the Council a really important body which will achieve solid practical results in its endeavours to help the inhabitants of trust territories, and will not be content merely with adopting an academic attitude towards the very real problems of these areas." The adjourned portion of the second session of the Trusteeship Council was devoted to the formulation and study of a draft statute for the City of Jerusalem in accordance with the resolution concerning the future government of Palestine adopted by the General Assembly on 29 November, 1947. A Working Committee established by the Council completed the draft statute in January, and the Council, in its examination of the statute, had the benefit of comments of the member States comprising the Council as well as those of Jewish and Arab Organizations. The statute provided for a Legislative Assembly for the City of Jerusalem, a Governor to be appointed by the Trusteeship Council, a special police force to maintain law and order and protect the holy places, and a separate citizenship for the inhabitants of the city. Final approval of the statute was deferred until all Governments had had an opportunity of perusing it. 5. International Court of Justice Chapter XIV of the Charter of the United Nations, signed at San Francisco on 26 June, 1945, established the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations which

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would function in accordance with the Statute of the International Court of Justice. This statute is based upon the statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice, signed at Geneva on 16 December, 1920. Article 36 of the Statute of the International Court provides that while States parties to the statute may declare that they recognize as compulsory the jurisdiction of the Court, declarations made under Article 36 of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice which are in force at the date of signature of the Charter shall subsist as acceptances of the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice for the period which they still have to run and in accordance with their terms. New Zealand first accepted the jurisdiction of the Permanent Court in September, 1929, and a renewal of its acceptance was deposited with the Secretary-General of the League of Nations in April, 1940. This declaration, which subsists as an acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court, was for a term of five years from 1 April, 1940,, and thereafter until such time as notice may be given to terminate the acceptance. It excludes from its operation (inter alia) disputes with the Government of any other member of the League which isa member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The most important issue on which the Court has been asked to give a decision concerns the dispute relating to the mining of Corfu Channel. The disputants are the United Kingdom and Albania. The Court has also been asked to give an advisory opinion on the conditions of admission of a State to membership in the UnitedNations. By a majority of nine to six the Court has given its opinion that a member of the United Nations which is called upon, in virtue of Article 4 of the Charter to pronounce itself by its vote, either in the Security Council or in the General Assembly, on the admission of a State to membership in the United Nations, is not juridically entitled to make its consent to the admission dependent on conditions pot expressly provided by paragraph 1 of the said Article : and that,, in particular, a member of the Organization cannot, while it recognizes the conditions set forth in that provision to be fulfilled by the State concerned, subject its affirmative vote to the additional condition that other States be admitted to membership in the United Nations together with that State. With a view to preparing for possible discussion at the next session of the General Assembly of the controversial question of the admission of new members, this advisory opinion is now being examined in the Department.

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6. Subsidiary Organs The work of the subsidiary organs (the Military Staff Committee, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Commission on Conventional Armaments) is of first importance to the development of a system of collective security, but progress in all three bodies has, so far, been impeded by disagreement on fundamental questions between the U.S.S.R. and other members. A general survey of the period under review reveals that there are no very satisfactory prospects that agreement will be reached on the subjects dealt with by the subsidiary organs before the beginning of the third session of the General Assembly. The Military Staff Committee, set up under Article 47 of the Charter, has continued discussions on the fundamental question of the establishment of Forces to be placed at the disposal of the Security Council for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security. The Committee published a report on 3 May, 1947, on the basic principles which should govern the organization of United Nations Armed Forces, but the Security Council, to whom the report was submitted, has been unable to reach agreement on certain vital issues raised in the report. Points on which there is disagreement include the question of the proportion of forces to be contributed by the five major Powers, and their location between periods of action. The Committee's report is still before the Security Council. Discussions in the A.tomic Energy Commission have made little progress as a result of what appears to be fundamental disagreement between the representatives of the Western Powers, on the one hand, and the U.S.S.R. on the other, on the question of the control of atomic energy and the establishment of an International Control Agency. This disagreement is illustrated by a comparison of the proposals submitted to the Commission by the U.S.S.R. and the United States of America, the essential differences of which were that, while the United States, supported by the majority of the Commission, required that an effective system of safeguards be established before stocks of atomic weapons were destroyed, the Soviet Union would not agree to establishment of a system of ownership, management, and licensing by an International Agency which would interfere with its domestic jurisdiction. At March, 1948, no agreement on this question was in prospect. The Conventional Armaments Commission, established as a subsidiary organ of the Security Council in February, 1947, proceeded to consider the formulation of proposals for the general control and reduction of armaments and armed forces. A Working Committee was established in July, 1947, but effective progress was held up for some time by protracted discussions on the question of the Commission's

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jurisdiction. The Commission arrived at a decision on this question in September, when it determined that all armaments and armed forces, with the exception of atomic weapons and weapons of mass destruction, should fall within its jurisdiction. There has also been disagreement on the question of whether disarmament should be proceeded with independently and without delay (the view of the U.S.S.R.), or whether it should be considered in relation to such other factors as the prior ratification of the peace treaties with Germany and Japan, the establishment of United Nations Armed Forces, and the international control of atomic energy (the view of the United States and the United Kingdom). Discussion has continued on the general principles of disarmament, but during the period under review there has been no indication that the important differences outstanding between members of the Commission will be resolved. MISCELLANEOUS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 1. International Trade Organization The year ending 31 March, 1948, has been particularly noteworthy for the continued and untiring efforts of a large number of countries to achieve, in consultation with each other, agreement as to measures designed to expand employment and world trade. To this end a Preparatory Committee, appointed by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations to prepare the ground for the convening of a United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment, met in Geneva for its second session from April to October, 1947. The United Nations Conference itself met in Havana, Cuba, from November, 1947, to March, 1948. The deliberations and conclusions on both occasions were of vital importance to such countries as New Zealand, whose trade pattern is of a character that is particularly sensitive to external influences. The New Zealand delegations to both conferences took a prominent part in ensuring that the international agreements gave adequate recognition to such important factors as the need for full employment and a high and steadily rising level of effective demand. In particular, New Zealand has emphasized the necessity of providing safeguards and assistance in cases where national economies are still in a developmental stage, and of maintaining unimpaired New Zealand's special trade relations within the British Commonwealth of Nations. The Department of External Affairs shared in the considerable preparatory work involved in briefing the New Zealand delegations, and before and during the Conference was called upon to advise upon questions of international legal or political importance.

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From these conferences of representatives there emerged for the approval of Governments drafts of a General Agreement on Taiiffs and Trade and of a Charter for an International Trade Organization (more commonly referred to as the Havana Charter). In anticipation of parliamentary and public discussion reports and other papers relating to these two draft Agreements, including the full texts of the documents concerned, have been, or are being, presented to Parliament and given wide circulation as External Affairs publications. 2. International Labour Organization During the past year the scope of the activities of the ILO, an international agency of nearly thirty years standing, has expanded and its position has been reinforced. Its revised constitution entered into force on 20 April, 1948 ; further ratifications of its conventions have brought the total number of ratifications up to 971. Its links with the United Nations and the other specialized agencies have been strengthened and its competence recognized by the reference to it by the Economic and Social Council of several questions for study, action, and report. The meetings of its industrial committees have brought the organization closer to the detailed problems of industry and labour; it is developing its regional organization; the meetings of its permanent committees have been resumed. It has extended expert advice and assistance to several countries. Pakistan and Syria have become members, and it is understood that the Republic of the Philippines, Burma, and Ceylon will also join the organization. On the other hand, Yugoslavia has given notice of withdrawal from membership. The following notes cover meetings and activities of the ILO with which New Zealand, and especially the Department of External Affairs, were particularly concerned. A New Zealand delegation attended the thirtieth session of the International Labour Conference, held in Geneva from 19 June to 11 July, 1947. The agenda included the discussion of five draft International Labour Conventions designed to establish minimum social standards for dependent territories. This matter was of direct concern to the Department of External Affairs, as well as to the Departments of Island Territories and Labour, in view of New Zealand's obligations under the Trusteeship Agreement for Western Samoa and of New Zealand's responsibilities for the administration of the Cook and Tokelau Islands. The conference adopted all five conventions, covering the right of association, settlement of labour disputes, extension of international labour standards to dependent territories, maximum length of work contracts for indigenous labour, and labour inspection.

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The question of freedom of association, another item on the agenda, arose from the discussions in the Economic and Social Council at its fourth session (February-March, 1947), when the World Federation of Trade Unions and the American Federation of Labour submitted memoranda seeking guarantees for the exercise of trade-union rights. The matter was referred by the Council to its Human Rights Commission and to the International Labour Organization. The 1947 conference discussed the comprehensive report, produced as a matter of urgency by the Office, and was unanimous in adopting resolutions which set out the principles involved in the right of association and in deciding that action should be taken for the adoption of appropriate conventions at the 1948 conference. The conference also requested the governing body to arrange for a close examination of the question of establishing international machinery for safeguarding trade-union rights. The decisions of the ILO were approved by the Economic and Social Council at its fifth session (July-August, 1947) and subsequently by the General Assembly. Apart from collaboration on these matters, the Departments of External Affairs and Labour joined in considering the proposed Convention on Privileges and Immunities, and the relationship of the ILO with the United Nations, other specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations. The Preparatory Asian Regional Conference of the ILO was held in New Delhi from 27 October to 9 November, 1947. Representatives attending included those countries as far afield as Afghanistan and Pakistan, China and Australia and New Zealand. The conference, the first of its kind to be held by the ILO in this region, was of special interest in view of recent developments in Asia. Mr. Nehru, Prime Minister of India, at the opening session stressed the importance of securing social justice in the present phase of political and social evolution in Asian countries, and also stressed the role of the ILO in assisting those countries in the pursuit of this aim. The conference adopted a number of resolutions dealing with promotion of the aims of the ILO in Asia, covering such matters as social security, employment services, wage policies and conditions of work, rural labour, co-operation, and general economic policies. The first full Asian Regional Conference is scheduled to be held in China in 1949. Representatives of twenty-six countries, including New Zealand,, and of several international organizations attended the Sixth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (Montreal, August, 1947),. which adopted comprehensive resolutions on international standards for statistics of employment, unemployment and the labour force,, the cost of living, and industrial injuries.

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The second session of the Permanent Migration Committee (Geneva, February-March, 1947) dealt with many important aspects of the problem of migration, including the revision of the 1939 convention and recommendations and the text of a model bilateral agreement on migration. It also dealt with the question of international responsibility in the field of migration and the co-ordination of the work of the ILO and the United Nations in this connection. During the year Mr. P. M. Butler attended several meetings of the governing body of the ILO as a deputy workers' member. Since the end of the war the constitution of the ILO has been completely revised. In part this was due to the dissolution of the League of Nations, whose original members were also members of the ILO. More fundamentally, revisions sprang from a desire to enable the Organization to deal more effectively with problems in its field of activity. The new constitution and a convention making consequential amendments in conventions previously adopted were ratified by New Zealand on 8 July, 1947. The Department has continued to act as the channel of communication with the ILO and, as necessary, has conferred with the Department of Labour on questions arising out of New Zealand's membership of the Organization. 3. International Civil Aviation The international aspects of civil aviation continued to occupy, throughout the period under review, a position of importance in the activities of the Department. The incidence of a large number of political, economic, legal, technical, and administrative problems attendant upon the rapid development of civil aviation in recent years, and their methodical and successful resolution by organizations of an international character, have necessitated careful and continuous study in the Department, and a considerable measure of co-operation and consultation with other Departments concerned. Although with the expansion of the Civil Aviation Branch of Air Department and the gradual extension of the functions of that Branch, certain duties connected with international civil aviation formerly carried out by the Department of External Affairs have properly been transferred to the Civil Aviation Branch, it still remains essential, in view of the considerable impact of international civil aviation on the political and economic life of New Zealand, for the External Affairs Department to maintain an active interest in this field and to keep a close watch on present day trends and developments. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) formally came into existence in April, 1947, and the first Assembly of the Organization was held in Montreal during May of that year. The

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South Pacific Air Transport Council (SPATC) held its second meeting in Canberra in August, 1947, and in November the Commission appointed by the ICAO Assembly to investigate the problems involved in the conclusion of a Multilateral Air Transport Agreement met in Geneva. New Zealand was represented at each of the foregoing conferences and took an active part in discussions and negotiations covering a wide range of aviation matters. The ICAO Assembly concerned itself, inter alia,, with the formulation of standards and practices which are to be recommended for acceptance by all countries participating in civil aviation activities. In this respect New Zealand's attitude has been to ensure that the best possible advice and assistance is made available to the Organization in determining measures which will guarantee the efficient and safe operation of international air services. The Commission on a Multilateral Air Transport Agreement failed to reach more than a restricted measure of agreement, and the subject will be brought before the Second Assembly, where the New Zealand Government will continue to press their point of view that the grant of rights in international air transport must be conditional upon the existence of machinery with real and effective powers to secure orderly development. At ICAO meetings the New Zealand Government have also maintained the view that the ownership and operation of trunk services on international air routes should be placed on an international basis, and, whenever possible, opportunity has been taken to support proposals similar to or in sympathy with this viewpoint. New Zealand has made a practical contribution in this respect by her participation on a partnership basis with the United Kingdom and Australia in the operation of trans-Tasman and trans-Pacific air services, and by her activity in maintaining on behalf of the Governments concerned certain essential facilities in the South Pacific for the operation of air services in and through the area. At the second meeting of the South Pacific Air Transport Council the member Governments created two committees—the TransTasman and Trans-Pacific Committees —for the purpose of controlling and directing, on the Governments' behalf, the operation of the trans-Tasman service by Tasman Empire Airways, Limited, and of the trans-Pacific service by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Limited, respectively. The Council is also the authority for matters connected with the maintenance and operation of the international airport in Fiji, financial responsibility for which is shared between the three Governments. New Zealand is entrusted by the Council with the execution of these functions.

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4. Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization New Zealand was represented at the United Nations Maritime Conference, held at Geneva from 19 February to 6 March, 1948, and convened by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations to consider the establishment of an inter-governmental maritime organization. International bodies to deal with shipping had been formed during and since the war. The first of these, the Combined Shipping Adjustment Board, was created in January, 1942, by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill " to adjust and concert in one harmonious policy the work of the British Ministry of War Transport and the Shipping Authorities of the United States Government." The second, the United Maritime Authority, 1945-46, derived from an Agreement on principles having reference to the continuance of co-ordinated control of merchant shipping, signed in London on 5 August, 1944. New Zealand acceded to the Agreement. The third, the United Maritime Consultative Council, came into being provisionally from 3 March, 1946, in succession to the United Maritime Authority, which terminated the previous day. New Zealand was represented at both sessions of the Council, held in June and October, 1946. The Council ceased to exist on 31 October, 1946, and was succeeded by the fourth body, the Provisional Maritime Consultative Council, which held one meeting (at which New Zealand was represented) in Paris in May, 1947. It was agreed that the Provisional Maritime Consultative Council should terminate upon the entry into force of a constitution for a permanent inter-govern-mental organization, or when membership fell below twelve members. Thirty-two countries were represented at the United Nations Maritime Conference at Geneva, which used as a basis for discussion the draft constitution for a permanent Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization drawn up by the United Maritime Consultative Council at its meeting in October, 1946. An overwhelming majority of the countries represented favoured the creation of an intergovernmental maritime organization. Some countries wished it to be a specialized agency of the United Nations, while others, including New Zealand, wanted it to be a commission or subcommission of the Economic and Social Council. It was finally decided that the organization should be recognized as the specialized agency in the field of shipping. The Conference adopted a Final Act recording the work and decisions of the Conference, a Convention on the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, and three resolutions, one for the establishment of a Preparatory Committee of the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, a second on the Safety of Life at Sea

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Conference, and a third relating to the report of the Preparatory Committee of Experts on Co-ordination of Safety at Sea and in the Air. The Convention will come into force on the date when twenty-one States, of which seven must each have a total tonnage of not less than 1,000,000 gross tons of shipping, have become parties to the Convention. The question of whether or not New Zealand will become a party to the Convention is under consideration. 5. Universal Postal Union New Zealand was represented at the Twelfth Congress of the Universal Postal Union, held in Paris from 7 May to 5 July, 1947. The most important matter discussed at the Congress was the Agreement between the Universal Postal Union (an international organization dating from 1874) and the United Nations Organization. After deliberation, the President of the Congress, on behalf of the Universal Postal Union, signed the Agreement whereby the Universal Postal Union is recognized as a specialized agency of the United Nations Organization. It is obligatory for New Zealand to ratify the Agreement. 6. International Telecommunications Union The International Telecommunications Conference, held at Atlantic City from 1 July to 2 October, 1947, was attended by representatives of seventy-eight countries, including New Zealand. The Conference, which was convened to revise the International Telecommunications Convention of Madrid, 1932, approved an Agreement between the United Nations Organization and the International Telecommunications Union in which the United Nations recognizes the International Telecommunications Union as a specialized agency. The International Telecommunications Convention agreed to at the Atlantic City Conference will come into force on 1 January, 1949. It is obligatory for New Zealand to ratify the Convention. 7. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization The work of this Organization has continued with principal emphasis on the broad objective of encouraging free circulation of information in educational, scientific, and cultural fields among member States. Projects have been initiated with the object of increasing international understanding through visits and exchanges of nationals, through the mass media of radio, films, and the press, and through libraries, books, and publications. In this field, for example, a book

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coupon scheme has been devised to overcome currency difficulties which impede the circulation of educational, scientific, and cultural publications ; this is under consideration by member States, as is also a draft convention providing for freer circulation of visual and auditory educational material. Other current projects cover the education of backward peoples (in respect of which several test schemes are being prepared) ; cultural interchanges in arts, letters, philosophy, and the humanities ; and human and social relations (under which head an inquiry is being conducted into " tensions affecting international understanding"). In the scientific field, UNESCO has been active in organizing meetings of experts and in promoting projects which are in harmony with the general objects ■of the Organization. The most ambitious of these projects is the •establishment of an institute to conduct research in the Amazon Basin, which has so far not been possible on a wide scale because of ■conflicting national interests in the area. The Organization's field of work is vast in scope and it is itself still in the formative stage, but the report of the Director-General, Dr. Julian Huxley, on its first year of achievement indicates that good progress has been made with projects already undertaken, and that the Organization is establishing itself as an important factor in the promotion of international understanding and co-operation. Co-ordination of UNESCO activities inside member States is undertaken by " National Commissions." In New Zealand's case this work has so far been performed by an Interim Committee set up in September, 1946, under the chairmanship of Dr. Beeby, Director -of Education, to consider the establishment of a National Commission. The Department of External Affairs has advised the Committee on •questions of external relations and continues to be the main channel of communication between the Committee and Organizations overseas, including the UNESCO Secretariat in Paris. In August, 1947, the Committee recommended the establishment of a Permanent National Commission of fifteen members, whose functions would be broadly to advise the Government on UNESCO matters, to advise New Zealand delegates to the General Conference of UNESCO which is held each year, to serve as an agency of liaison with Organizations, institutions, and individuals in New Zealand contributing or interested in UNESCO activities, and to promote an understanding of the general objectives of UNESCO among the people of New Zealand. Cabinet approved this recommendation on 24 September, 1947, and the Interim Committee was asked to carry on as an Acting National Commission until the Permanent Commission could be set up, which, it was hoped, would take place in the latter half of 1948.

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The Second General Conference of UNESCO was held in Mexico City from 5 November to 4 December, 1947. The New Zealand delegation, led by Dr. Beeby, emphasized at the opening of the Conference that attempts to cover too wide a field of activities would weaken the Organization, and that it should concentrate on a manageable programme. The delegation took part in numerous working parties, and its report, which has been separately published as External Affairs Publication No. 55, gives an indication of the extent of UNESCO's activities. The delegation was of the general opinion that the Organization's programme was still too wide, but that it contained a core of worth-while practical projects and that it was assuming more workable proportions as the Organization's development progressed. Several new members have joined UNESCO during the period under review, as a result of which a reduction has been possible in the percentage share of member States in the annual budget and the revolving fund of the Organization. New Zealand's share for 1948 has been reduced as a result to o*sß per cent., on which basis this country's total contribution to UNESCO for 1948 amounts to $49,874. In January, 1948, the New Zealand Government received a request from the Director-General of UNESCO that Dr. Beeby should be released from his duties in New Zealand to take up the position of Head of the Education Section of UNESCO in Paris, with the rank of Assistant Director-General. After the implications of this request had been fully considered, it was decided that Dr. Beeby should be released for a period of eighteen months, and that he should leave New Zealand on 1 April, 1948. 8. World Health Organization The Interim Commission of the World Health Organization established by the International Health Conference in 1946 continued to carry out the functions of a World Health Organization throughout the year, funds for 1948 being made available by a grant of $1,500,000 from UNRRA and a loan of $1,200,000 supplied by the United Nations. The World Health Organization itself could not formally come into existence until its constitution had been accepted by twenty-six members of United Nations ; this did not happen until 7 April, 1948. The Interim Commission has cleared the ground for the WHO by completing arrangements for the transfer of the functions of various existing international health organizations such as the Office International d'Hygiene Publique. In the practical field the Commission has established eleven expert committees as the principal

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instruments for carrying out its obligations in administering international health functions and supplying technical aid to Governments. Some of these committees deal with particular diseases—i.e., yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis, venereal disease and others with particular branches of WHO's work, such as epidemic control, quarantine, and the standardization of biologic products used in the prevention and treatment of disease. Much valuable work has been done by these committees in compiling information, adopting international standards, and, where appropriate, recommending international action. The function of WHO Interim Commission in providing expert assistance to Governments in emergencies was illustrated by its activities in connection with the cholera epidemic in Egypt in September-November, 1947. Notification of the first cases was received towards the end of September, and the Commission immediately took steps to expand the production of vaccine in the U.S.A. The Commission acted as buying agent, and ensured that demands were co-ordinated and that competitive buying did not take place ; under its auspices supplies of vaccine were contributed by nineteen Governments. By the end of October the epidemic had begun to decline ; by December it was over. Through its field services programme the Interim Commission has continued the technical assistance given by UNRRA to Governments receiving its aid. Missions have operated in Austria, Hungary, Finland, Greece, Italy, Ethiopia, and China. In some cases the work of the Missions has been confined to lecturing and demonstrating new medical and surgical techniques. In others, particularly China, where the most extensive programme has been carried out, the Missions have, in addition to teaching, undertaken work in epidemic control, mass radiography for T. 8., &c. A programme of medical and technical fellowships designed to foster the spread of medical knowledge and to aid in rehabilitating public health in war damaged countries has been taken over from UNRRA and considerably expanded. Under this programme two hundred students from war-damaged countries have been placed for special studies in various countries in Europe and North America. 9. Food and Agriculture Organization The objects of FAO are to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to make more efficient the production and distribution of food and other agricultural products, and to improve the conditions of rural populations. In this way FAO makes its contribution towards an expanding world economy. In addition to agriculture, the Organization is concerned with fisheries and marine products and with forests and primary forest products.

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Since its inception at the Hot Springs Conference in 1943, FAO has become the world's foremost information agency on questions in its field, having absorbed the International Institute of Agriculture (Rome), which for forty years gathered and published data on agronomy. FAO has also taken a leading part in improving statistical practices and has laid plans for a world census of agriculture in 1950. In addition, FAO has sponsored a number of conferences to consider special agricultural problems. These included one called to discuss timber, held in C2echoslovakia in April-May, 1947, a special cereals conference in Paris in July, 1947, a twenty-seven-nation meeting on infestation of stored foodstuffs, held in London in the summer of 1947, and a conference on rice held in the Philippines in February, 1948. It is the function of FAO to assist Governments by every appropriate means in their effort to increase food production. To this end FAO is, on request, sending technical Missions to advise individual Governments on their production programmes. The first of these Missions was sent to Greece in 1946, and the second, consisting of ten experts, to Poland in the summer of 1947 to work out proposals for the rehabilitation and development of agriculture and forestry in that country. At the beginning of 1948 an eight-member Mission was sent to Siam to plan increased agricultural production, and a further Mission of six FAO experts was sent to study similar problems in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. There are now more than fifty experts engaged by FAO in this kind of technical field work. During 1947 FAO conducted three field demonstration schools in Europe, one on hybrid corn, one on artificial insemination, and a third on veterinary techniques. These schools were designed to give European agriculturists a chance to catch up on the progress made in their respective fields from which they were cut off during; the war. The third annual conference of FAO, at which New Zealand was represented, was held in Geneva from 25 August to 11 September,. 1947. One of the main decisions of this conference was to replace the executive committee, consisting of individual experts without any mandate from the countries from which they came, by a council made up of eighteen representatives of member countries covering all regions of the world. The Council provides a means for FAO to work directly and continuously with the Governments of the countries represented; it has the power not only to give advice, but also tomake recommendations to Governments members of FAO.

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The Council of FAO, meeting for the first time in Washington in* November, 1947, made plans to absorb the International Emergency Food Council (see below), set up a policy committee on production and distribution, and formulated recommendations on how to meet the immediate and long-term food deficiencies of the world. 10. International Emergency Food Committee As from 1 January, 1948, the International Emergency Food Council, established at the meeting on urgent food problems convened by FAO in May, 1946, became the International Emergency Food Committee of the Council of FAO. The assumption by FAO of direct responsibility for the work of lEFC became possible as a result of the amendment of the Constitution of FAO (see above). However, the arrangements made between the old International Emergency Food Council and the Council of FAO prior to the transfer of functions ensured that the methods and procedures previously adopted by lEFC would be continued. Accordingly,. New Zealand continues to be represented not only on several commodity committees which meet regularly, but also on the International Emergency Food Committee. The Committee has continued the methods previously used for the allocation of those foodstuffs and materials used in food production which are in short supply and are included within the reserved commodity lists issued by lEFC. Through its sub-committees the Committee considers the supplies and requirements of the different commodities and draws up lists of allocations ; these are submitted to Governments for their concurrence. The primary difficulty tobe met is the fact that total supplies are in many cases much below the total minimum import requirements. Problems also arise in allocating sources of supplies, most Governments desiring, if possible, , to maintain the sources from which they have drawn their suppliesin the past. Currency exchange difficulties have added a further problem by increasing pressure for supplies to be made available to claimant countries from areas which would not involve drawing on scarce currencies. In spite of these and other difficulties, lEFC has. continued to discharge an important function in ensuring to a considerable degree an equitable allocation of scarce foodstuffs and materials essential for food production. 11. International Wheat Council A Conference convened by the International Wheat Council in London (March-April, 1947), at which New Zealand was represented, settled the general provisions for a long-term agreement for sales and purchases of wheat, but was unable to finalize the question of"

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prices. The Council, of which New Zealand became a member in June, 1947, convened a further conference in Washington on 28 January, 1948. On 6 March, 1948, the text of an Agreement was adopted and opened for signature; it was subsequently signed by all countries represented at the Conference, except Guatemala. These signatures require formal acceptance, generally by 1 July. The Agreement specifies the quantities of wheat which for the period 1948-49 to 1952-53, Australia, Canada, and the United States will contract to export and which the importing countries will agree to import. A basic maximum price of $2 (Canadian) per bushel is fixed for each year; the basic minimum price falls progressively from $1.50 in 1948-49 to sl.lO in 1952-53. The Agreement sets out the basis for assessing these prices and for the assessment of equivalents. Contracts between Governments for the purchase and sale of wheat, entered into prior to 1 March, 1947, are protected. If it comes into force, the Agreement will establish a new International Wheat Council, comprising representatives of contracting States, with non-voting representatives of interested international organizations. 12. UNRRA At the fifth session of the Council of UNRRA (August, 1946) it was agreed that UNRRA should draw its activities to a close in 1947. All UNRRA missions in Europe closed on 30 June, 1947, and the Far Eastern Missions closed at the end of the year. However, as UNRRA disbanded, other international organizations took up important phases of its work, with the aid of UNRRA's residual funds and some of UNRRA's trained personnel. The Interim Commission of the World Health Organization took over certain aspects of the UNRRA health programme, including advice and assistance in the control of malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases, and the training of health personnel; the Food and Agriculture Organization assumed the direction of a number of technical and advisory services initiated by UNRRA to increase food production; the Preparatory Commission of the International Refugee Organization assumed responsibility for those refugees and displaced persons not repatriated or resettled; UNESCO and the International Children's Emergency Fund took over other phases of UNRRA's work. In the course of its operations UNRRA had delivered supplies valued at about $3,000,000,000. It had cared for and repatriated millions of refugees and displaced persons. Its services had prevented the outbreak of epidemics and averted mass starvation in many lands. It had provided technical assistance and advice to wardevastated countries. Equipment supplied had assisted in the

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restoration of transport and agriculture. Other goods provided the initial impetus for the rehabilitation of war-shattered economies. In short, the work of UNRRA, to which New Zealand contributed £5,200,000, had alleviated the sufferings of millions of human beings, prevented a complete collapse of the economies of war-devastated countries, and made vital contributions to the task of rehabilitation and reconstruction. 13. International Children's Emergency Fund The International Children's Emergency Fund was established by the General Assembly of United Nations in December, 1946, to take over the essential work of UNRRA in assisting children and adolescents. Starting operations in September, 1947, the scale of its activities steadily mounted, until assistance is now being given to approximately five million children in twelve European countries and in China. Investigations are being made with a view to the extension of the Fund's activities to the countries of South East Asia. The Fund is primarily concerned with supplementary feeding, but it is also acting to provide essential relief in other directions—e.g., the provision of blankets for children's institutions. An allocation has been made for shoes, as it has been found in several countries that children are unable to attend school to receive the meals prepared there with ICEF supplies owing to the lack of footwear. In cooperation with the Red Cross, the Fund is launching a programme for the mass testing and inoculation of European children against tuberculosis. Latest information gives the total resources of the Fund since the commencement of activities as approximately $70,000,000. Over $51,000,000 has been received through contributions from twenty Governments, including the contribution of £250,000 by New Zealand last year. Apart from its initial contribution of $15,000,000, the United States has undertaken to make substantial other funds available in the proportion of $72 from the United States to S2B from other Governments. The Fund has received nearly $18,000,000 from the residual assets of UNRRA. In the near future it should receive substantial resources as a result of the world-wide United Nations Appeal for Children. It is part of the policy of the Fund that countries which receive UNICEF supplies must provide fresh vegetables and other supplies from their local resources, which, on a calorific basis, approximately equal the supplies from the Fund; in this way, the milk, cod-liver oil, and other high value foodstuffs supplied by the Fund are matched with local supplies to provide a balanced meal daily for approximately five million children.

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The activities of the Fund are closely supervised by an Executive Board comprising representatives of twenty-six Governments. New Zealand is represented on the Executive Board and also on the Board's Committee on the Administrative Budget of the Fund. The reports of the Executive Board are submitted to the Economic and Social Council and its Social Commission, and also to the 'General Assembly of United Nations. The Fund's activities have, to the extent of its resources, achieved considerable success in providing a well-balanced programme of supplementary feeding. In the main, feeding takes place at approximately thirty thousand schools, hospitals, clinics, and other child centres. Many difficulties have arisen in organizing this programme, including the absence in many cases of the necessary, but elementary, facilities. The major difficulty has been, of course, the scarcity of the Fund's resources and the necessity to establish rigid policies of selection of the children to receive supplementary meals ; in many •countries medical certificates are required. The short-term results of the Fund's activities in avoiding malnutrition and, in some cases, actual starvation are matched by the long-range effects of the Fund's -activities. It is clear that these activities are providing a basis for ■elaborating and speeding up programmes of child feeding and welfare in many countries, and that they are also having important effects in spreading knowledge of nutrition. 14. United Nations Appeal for Children The fifth session of the Economic and Social Council examined closely the plans formulated by the Secretary-General for the •organization of the world-wide campaign to raise funds for the relief of distressed children. Its decisions clarified various features of the nature of the United Nations Appeal for Children, the timing of the appeal, and the provisions of the agreements to be entered into between the Secretary-General and the different participating countries. It urged the fullest support by all peoples and authorized the establishment of an International Advisory Committee (including representatives of the principal international non-governmental •organizations taking part, and of the different national committees) to assist the Secretary-General in co-ordinating the national appeals and in organizing his relations with the organizations sponsoring the appeal. The Council also established a Committee of seven of its members to assist the Secretary-General in applying the policies set forth in the Council's resolutions. New Zealand is a member of this Committee, and the New Zealand representative, Dr. W. B. Sutch, was elected its Chairman and Rapporteur; he has also acted as the representative of the New Zealand National Committee for UNAC on the International Advisory Committee.

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Over forty countries, including New Zealand, are participating in the appeal, and, although it is too early to estimate the full results,, it is clear that substantial resources will become available to make possible further international action, primarily through the International Children's Emergency Fund, to assist the children oF war-devastated countries. 15. International Refugee Organization The Constitution of the International Refugee Organization, approved by the General Assembly of United Nations in December, 1946, and signed by New Zealand on 17 March, 1947, provides that it will come into force when fifteen States whose contributions total 75 per cent, of the first operational budget have signed it without reservation. Up to date, fourteen states, whose contributions total slightly over 75 per cent., have become members. It is anticipated that the Constitution will enter into force in the near future, and the Preparatory Commission, on which New Zealand is represented, has completed all arrangements for that event, including such questions as rules of procedure, privileges and immunities, relations with United Nations, &c. Although the Constitution has not come into force, the then impending closing down of UNRRA's operations made it imperative that the Preparatory Commission should assume operational functions on 1 July, 1947. On that date the Preparatory Commission took over the functions in respect of refugees and displaced persons oF UNRRA and of the Inter-governmental Committee on Refugees established in 1938, of which New Zealand had also been a member.. The Inter-governmental Committee has now wound up its activities. The assumption of responsibility, a few months after the first meeting of the Preparatory Commission and a considerable period before the Constitution of IRO came into force, for well over a million refugees and displaced persons presented great problems for the secretariat and the Commission. However, the Organization is now working efficiently and smoothly; this has, however, in view of the failure of all except a small number of countries toratify the Constitution, been made possible only by cutting all costs to the minimum. For the first six months of its operational activities the Preparatory Commission cared for an average of six hundred and fifty thousand persons a month in camps in Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Middle East. As far as possible, arrangements have been made for refugees.

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and displaced persons receiving care and maintenance to engage in useful activities. The Preparatory Commission has also given legal and administrative help to some hundreds of thousands of other refugees and displaced persons who have found it possible to exist without material help from the Organization. Semi-judicial procedure has been established for determining the eligibility of refugees and displaced persons to receive care and maintenance and other assistance. Financial considerations have made it inevitable for the Preparatory Commission to impose strict limits on fresh admissions to care and maintenance. There has also been some discussion on the question of setting a date-line so that no persons leaving their countries of residence after that date would be eligible for assistance from the Organization. The great bulk of the refugees and displaced persons are in the zones of occupation in Germany and Austria and in Italy. The Preparatory Commission operates in these territories under agreements with the respective Occupation Authorities and Governments. It utilizes to the maximum extent possible the facilities of the voluntary agencies. The Preparatory Commission has pressed ahead with repatriation and resettlement. It has been estimated that, by the end of June, 1948, some two hundred thousand persons will have been repatriated or resettled. Accepting the policy that no refugee or displaced person who has good reason for not returning to his country of origin should be forced to return, it is clear that the refugee problem can be settled in the main only by resettlement in other lands. There have been discussions in the Preparatory Commission of proposals for fixing a quota or fair share for all countries in which refugees might resettle, but no final decision has been taken. The Preparatory Commission has taken all necessary steps to assist Governments who have agreed to accept refugees or displaced persons in the selection of persons for resettlement. New Zealand has regularly been represented at the meetings of the Preparatory Commission and has contributed, according to the budget approved by the General Assembly of United Nations, to the administrative and operational budgets of the Preparatory Commission. In accordance with a request of the Preparatory Commission, New Zealand has already paid in advance its contribution for the financial year 1 July, 1948, to 30 June, 1949, to assist in building up funds for the provision of shipping for the resettlement of refugees and displaced persons.

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NEW ZEALAND'S REPRESENTATION OVERSEAS 1. General Last year's annual report outlined the reasons for and certain consequences of the Government's policy of confining New Zealand's overseas representation to the minimum required for the effective protection of the country's economic and security interests. It also noted that these posts have the additional duties of interpreting the policy and actions of the New Zealand Government to the Government to which they are accredited, of keeping the New Zealand Government fully informed of the policy and actions of the other Government and of the reasons which motivated them, and of interpreting the way of life and the outlook of the New Zealand people to the people among whom they are stationed. The following sections report upon the work of each of the seven chief posts which New Zealand maintains overseas. One has been added to last year's number—namely, the Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations ; this, however, is an expansion and change in emphasis of an older post, the office of the New Zealand representative on the Economic and Social Council. The total staffs of all kinds at Ottawa, Canberra, Moscow, and Washington remain unchanged; for reasons which the accompanying reports will detail, it has been necessary to increase the staff at London by eighteen, to 183, and at the combined office in New York by five, to 11. A full list of New Zealand's overseas posts, with the names of the senior staff, is given in the March issue of the Department's publication " List of Overseas Representatives in New Zealand and New Zealand Representatives Overseas." By the standards of other countries the staffs of New Zealand's overseas posts, like her delegations to conferences, are very small; and still must cover very much the same ground. This makes great demands on their energy, demands which are increased when, to save the expense of sending delegations from New Zealand, the senior and clerical staff are detached, sometimes for many months, to attend nearby conferences which have importance to New Zealand but little direct relation to the primary purposes of the post. This practice must inevitably continue, but its effects upon the efficiency of the posts, and not seldom upon the well-being of their staffs, cannot be ignored. 2. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, United Kingdom A general increase in the many and varied activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United Kingdonj has been apparent during the year ended 31 March, 1948. This has

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resulted from many factors, not the least important of which were the introduction of an immigration scheme in July, 1947, and the tremendous volume of inquiries as to conditions generally in New .Zealand made by prospective emigrants to this country. No diminution has occurred in the activities of the External Affairs officer, whose sphere of action has been somewhat widened as a result of the extensive political developments in foreign affairs during the period under review. Close contact and co-operation with both the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office has ;been maintained by the High Commissioner and the External Affairs officer, who have also attended numerous meetings with British -Commonwealth High Commissioners and with the Secretaries of .State for Commonwealth Relations and Foreign Affairs. An increase in the number of applications for permission to enter New Zealand is reported by the Secretarial Branch. This increase, most apparent in respect of nationals of the great majority of European countries, is indicative of the widespread feeling of insecurity and dissatisfaction obtaining throughout Europe. Valuable assistance has been given by this Branch in connection with the appointment of specialists in various spheres to positions in New Zealand. The appointments with which the High Commissioner's Office has been concerned during the year cover, among many others, vacancies in the Public Service, Hospital Boards, and the University of New Zealand. At least one-half of the numerous inquiries made of the Information Section originated from persons considering emigration to New Zealand, a fact which gives evidence of the keen interest shown in this country by the people of the United Kingdom. The function of issuing passports was delegated to the Information Officer from the beginning of 1948. The activities of the Publicity Branch continue to show a steady progress, extracts from daily news cables now being circulated to 250 daily newspapers, periodicals, magazines, and journalists, in addition to Reuters. An increase is reported in the number of requests for 16 mm. sound-films, lantern slides, film strips, and photographs, while large quantities of literature and maps have been distributed for educational purposes. An important achievement of this Branch during the year was the successful preparation and showing of the " Meet New Zealand " Exhibition. The great amount of work involved in the setting-up of this -exhibition, which embraces all aspects of New Zealand life, was well justified by the great enthusiasm with which it was received wherever it was shown. Window displays at New Zealand House, which have been arranged at regular intervals, continue to command .a great deal of attention.

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Among the numerous functions carried out by the Finance Branch during the past year were the ordering and checking of the production of considerable quantities of bronze and cupro-nickel coins and bank-notes (on behalf of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand) and of New Zealand postage-stamps. During the visit to the United Kingdom of the Right Honourable W. Nash in connection with the Double Taxation Agreement, advantage was taken of the opportunity for discussions on general finance matters and particularly on loan maturities. Another. note-worthy event was the completion of the New Zealand Wool Credits Agreement with Czechoslovakia, signed by the High Commissioner and the Czechoslovak Ambassador at New Zealand House on 22 January, 1948. Discussions on the final settlement and adjustment of war accounts and claims have continued on a detailed basis with the many United Kingdom Government Departments involved. The Stores Indents and Shipping Branch reports a considerable increase in the volume of cargo shipped to New Zealand on behalf of the Government during the year, this being attributable in the main to accelerated deliveries against the Railway Department's •orders for rolling-stock. The section has arranged the shipment of more than 60,000 tons of goods to New Zealand. Further easing of the shipping position has greatly facilitated this section's activities. The work of the Joint Service Liaison Staff has expanded considerably during the year, and the staff is proving an efficient link between the Chiefs of Staff in New Zealand and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. Though the scope of the work of New Zealand Military Headquarters in London, as headquarters of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. in'the United Kingdom, diminished to such an extent that the latter -element was disbanded as from 31 March, there has been an increase in the duties connected with the training of New Zealand Regular Force personnel. At present several officers and other ranks of the New Zealand Regular Force are attending courses at various military colleges. Recruitment of ex Royal Naval ratings for the Royal New Zealand Navy has been continued with good results by the Naval Affairs Office. The London headquarters of the Royal New Zealand Air Force has supervised the delivery to New Zealand of the majority of a total consignment of eighty Mosquito aircraft and has carried out an intensive recruiting campaign for technical personnel. The introduction of New Zealand's immigration scheme, which was announced in the United Kingdom early in July, 1947, was the culmination of much detailed negotiation between the Governments of the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Good progress has resulted from the work of the Immigration Officers sent from New Zealand to administer the project; from its inception until 31 March last,

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1,100 emigrants of both sexes had sailed for New Zealand. With the co-operation of the Ministry of Transport and shipping companies in the United Kingdom, passages for immigrants have been made available on several New-Zealand-bound vessels, and the former hospital ship " Atlantis " has already made two trips under charter to the New Zealand Government, Despite the present straitened economic situation there, the number of persons visiting the United Kingdom from New Zealand, both for business and for pleasure, has increased to such an extent as to recall pre-war conditions ; and all possible assistance has been given wherever necessary to these people and to New Zealanders permanently domiciled in the United Kingdom with whom contact has been maintained. To consider requests for assistance from the approximately two hundred and thirty rehabilitation bursars undertaking studies in the United Kingdom, a London Committee of the National Patriotic Fund Board was set up to advise the High Commissioner. Through its agency many deserving cases have been given financial assistance. The representatives of certain New Zealand Government Departments at the High Commissioner's Office—namely, the Industries and Commerce, Customs, Tourist and Health Resorts, Scientific and Industrial Research, Marketing, and Agriculture Departments, and the Public Trust Office, whose duties in London are carried out under the general supervision of the High Commissioner and the Official Secretary—have experienced, in the same way as other branches of the Office, an increase in the volume of work in their respective spheres. The presence of these representatives in London is proving most valuable, both from the point of view of facilitating the conduct of business between commercial and governmental organizations in the United Kingdom and Departments in New Zealand, and that of releasing members of the High Commissioner's staff for other duties. Dr. Ernest Marsden, formerly Secretary of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand, took up the post of Scientific Adviser at the High Commissioner's Office in London in October, 1947. Mr. T. P. Davin was transferred early in 1948 from the Department of External Affairs as Assistant External Affairs Officer. During the year two officers from New Zealand House made visits to New Zealand to gain first-hand knowledge of the work and methods of Government Departments in this country. The High Commissioner, in addition to the many other calls, both official and unofficial, made upon him in his capacity as New Zealand representative in the United Kingdom, led the New Zealand delegation to the International Labour Organization Conference at

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Geneva in June, 1947, the International Refugee Organization Conference at Lausanne in July of that year, the Sterling Area Conference during September in London, and the International Maritime Conference held at Geneva in February. New Zealand was also represented by officers from New Zealand House at the International Conference of Agricultural Economists in August, the International Conference of National Tourist Organizations held at Paris in October, the fifth session of the Preparatory Committee of the International Refugee Organization at Geneva in January, 1948, and the Conference of the Permanent Migration Committee of the International Labour Organization which took place at Geneva in February of this year. In addition, a representative from New Zealand House was present at the second and third meetings of the Study Group for a European Customs Union held at Brussels, the first being attended by a representative from New Zealand. Secretarial and cipher staff from the High Commissioner's Office were also called upon to assist at several International Conferences held throughout Europe, to which delegates travelled from New Zealand. The External Affairs Officer has also represented New Zealand on Committees dealing with whaling, polar, and Antarctic matters. 3. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Canada The election of Canada to the Security Council underlines her increasingly important and responsible position in world affairs. At the same time it makes it even more necessary than before that her policies and actions should be thoroughly understood by other members of the Commonwealth. It has therefore been a major concern of the Office of the New Zealand High Commissioner in Canada to keep the Department posted with information on Canadian domestic and foreign affairs. Canada has now established a very extensive network of overseas posts covering thirty-three countries, and Canada is in a good position to contribute to the arrangements among the members of the Commonwealth for exchange of information upon external affairs ; this exchange widens considerably the New Zealand Department's purview of world affairs. There was a constant demand for information on various aspects of life in New Zealand, and an increased quantity of material was distributed throughout Canada to newspaper editors, libraries, public bodies, and educational institutions. Background articles with illustrated photographs were submitted to the press for publication. Index descriptions of New Zealand films were supplied to the Canadian Film Society for inclusion in their film catalogue, and arrangements were made with the Canadian National Film Board

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whereby New Zealand film productions could be submitted with a view to being copied and distributed throughout Canada. During the course of the year, moreover, there was a growing number of inquiries from prospective settlers seeking information on immigration laws, employment conditions, cost of living, and so on. Such inquiries as these, as well as those from an increasing number of prospective tourists, covered a considerable part of the routine work of the Office. During the year several visiting New Zealand officials were enabled, through receptions or other arrangements made by the Office, to meet Canadian Government officials in their respectivefields. These visitors included the Right Hon. W. Nash, who arrived in Ottawa in March, 1948, for discussions with Canadian Ministers on matters of trade and finance. During this visit a double taxation agreement was concluded and signed. In November, 1947, the High Commissioner, jointly with the United Kingdom and Australian High Commissioners, made an offer on behalf of their Governments of memorial gates to be erected at a major air station in commemoration of the wartime co-operation of Canada in the training of Commonwealth airmen. In accepting the offer the Canadian Prime Minister paid high tribute to the achievements of the trainees. At the beginning of the 1947-48 period the Hon. David Wilson completed his term of office as High Commissioner for New Zealand in Canada. His successor, Mr. James Thorn, arrived in Canada on 27 April, 1947. Towards the end of 1947 the Official Secretary, Mr. R. M. Firth, was replaced by Mr. C. A. Sharp after a term of ten years in Canada,, acting for most of that period as agent for the Industries and Commerce and Tourist and Publicity Departments. In March, 1948 r Mr. B. S. Lendrum took up his appointment as Assistant Secretary. On several occasions during the year the High Commissioner's Office, which has only two diplomatic officers in addition to the High Commissioner, was called on to provide representation at international conferences in the United States. Mr. Thorn's appointment in the place of his predecessor as New Zealand delegate on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations made necessary his travelling to New York for the period 19 July-16 August and again, as a member of the Social Commission, from 28 August-12. September. Later in September he returned to New York to join the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, which carried over until the end of November. Towards the end of January, 1948, the High Commissioner paid a further visit to New York as the New Zealand delegate to the sixth session of the

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Economic and Social Council. During these periods of absence the High Commissioner paid brief visits back to Canada to attend to miscellaneous duties connected with the Ottawa Office. In the intervals the Official Secretary assumed charge of the mission as Acting High Commissioner. 4. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Australia The special relationship between Australia and New Zealand* inaugurated by the Australian - New Zealand Agreement of 1944 and facilitated by the permanent Secretariat, has been maintained for the past year, particularly in regard to external policy, defence, civil aviation, and trade. The Office proper, with a total establishment of only five, has undertaken a wifle variety of tasks calling for an equally wide range of ability and knowledge. Exchange of information and frank discussion of matters of external policy is a daily occurrence between the Office and the Commonwealth Department of External Affairs. These are too numerous to mention in detail, but some of the more important questions related to the Occupation of Japan, discussions on policy of the Far Eastern Commission, Japanese reparations, the reopening of trade with Japan through SCAP, Japanese whaling expeditions, inter Commonwealth policy on the Japanese peace settlement, defence of the South Pacific Area, the drawing-up of a trusteeship agreement for Nauru, civil aviation and the South Pacific Air Transport Council, the disposition of former Italian colonies, Antarctic questions generally and the Australian Antarctic Expedition, changes in British Commonwealth policy necessitated by the new constitutional status of India, Burma, and Ceylon, matters affecting Indonesia and South East Asia, matters relating to the United Nations and Trusteeship administration, immigration, nationality, and citizenship legislation. A full coverage of current domestic events in Australia was provided by the Office, including such matters of interest to New Zealand as the legislation to nationalize private banks and the subsequent appeal to the High Court, the record wheat harvest of 1947-48, the vigorous Australian immigration policy, industrial strikes, and the prices referendum. The second meeting of the South Pacific Air Transport Council was held in August, 1947, in Canberra, and attended by representatives of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Among the topics discussed at this Conference were the transTasman air service, international airports in Fiji, South Pacific Regional Services, and the purchase of new Solent flying-boats for the Tasman service. On August 26 the British. Commonwealth

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Conference on the Japanese peace settlement was opened in Canberra by the Prime Minister of Australia, the Right Honourable J. B. Chifley, and continued until 2 September under the chairmanship of Dr. Evatt. The New Zealand delegation was led by the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable P. Fraser, who had with him the High Commissioner, Mr. J. G. Barclay. Close liaison exists between the Office and the New Zealand Trade Commissioner's officers and New Zealand Travel Managers in Sydney and Melbourne on matters of trade and travel, and the High Commissioner has been able to assist, on a governmental level, negotiations on trade matters of importance to New Zealand such as wheat, coal, hardwoods, and the supply of other Australian products of which New Zealand stands in need. The High Commissioner, Mr. J. G. Barclay, fulfilled numerous engagements throughout 'the Eastern States during the year, and accepted an invitation to make a flying tour of many large stations in the Northern Territory during June, 1947. The demand for information on all aspects of New Zealand life continued unabated during the past year, and in addition to the showing of 16 mm. films, books, pamphlets, and posters were given wide circulation. The High Commissioner, who gives frequent addresses to clubs, associations, and public gatherings in Australia, often accompanies his address with the showing of a film. Excerpts from the Weekly Review and short documentaries prepared by the National Film Unit have proved very popular with Australian audiences. Many New Zealand visitors, both official and unofficial, were entertained by the High Commissioner and his staff. Notable among these were the All Blacks, who began a successful tour of Australia with their first victory at Canberra. The Australian Prime Minister, Right Hon. J. B. Chifley, and Mrs. Chifley accepted Mr. Fraser's invitation to visit New Zealand in December, 1947, and informal talks were held between the two Prime Ministers. During the absence from Australia of the High Commissioner, the Official Secretary, Miss J. R. McKenzie, was Acting High Commissioner. The Assistant Secretary, Mr. C. A. Sharp, returned to New Zealand in April, 1947, and after a period of duty in the Department became Official Secretary at the New Zealand High Commissioner's Office in Ottawa. Mr. R. H. Wade, who was for some months fully engaged as New Zealand representative on the staff of the Interim Organization of the South Pacific Commission in Sydney, replaced Mr. Sharp in September, 1947. Mr. B. R. Rae was appointed New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Melbourne during September, and Colonel C. J. Duff replaced Colonel H. E. Gilbert as Senior New Zealand Service Liaison Officer in Melbourne.

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Mr. Barclay flew to Noumea in July to represent the New Zealand Government at the handing over to the Anzac Agency by the Imperial War Grave? Compassion pf the New Zealand War Cemetery at Boufail. In February, 1948, the High Commissioner, as representative of the Nesy Zealand Government, accompanied by Mr. R. H. Wade, attended the Ceylon Independence celebrations which marked the by Cpylpn of full self-government within the British Copimonwealth. fj. New Zealand Legation, Uniqn qf Sqviet Socialist Republics The Legation has continued its clpse pbservatiqn of all aspects of Soviet life and affairs and has furnished numerous reports on widely varying subjects, which, in view of developments in the internatippa] situation during the year under review, have been particularly usefulIn addition, the Legatipn carried put a considerable amount of liaison work between Soviet and Nesy Zealand scientific and academic bodies as a result of which there have beep regular exchanges of publications and information of a scientific, cultural, and general nature. The Soviet Society fpr Cultural Relations have expressed their desire to receive somp nwsic by Nesy Zpaland compqsers, and it is tapped it will be possible to this. Orchestral spores other music have already been rppeived frpm the society. Translations made by the Joint Press Spading Spryice of alleles appearing in the Russian press on Sftch §.s soci|l insurance, transport, agriculture, economics, &c., have bepn rpceiyed rpgpjarly and have been passed on to the Qqvemment Departments concernedGeneral information about New Zealand ha§ bpen frpqpent}y spught, and some publicity has been given to New Zealand affairs. The B-nssian Jangwgp nF*fSP a P?r -A\b> pwt?U^ e 4 by the British Embassy, bas %rtjples Zes#nd ppqfiptpiy, life and affairs, spqrt in New Zeajapd, &c. At the end of April, 1947, the pounpil of Fqfejgn Ministers, had been meeting in Mpspow, thg ppriod pf thp Conference the New Zealand Minister constantly in conspltatipn with other membprs of the on mfttejrs pf pop|pipn concern which came under discussion. On 31 December, 1947, the Legation deposited yi/ith the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs the New Zealand Instruments of Ratifipatiqn of the peace treaties with Rpumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland. On 25 September the New Zealand Minister and Mrs. Bpswell left Moscow for New Zealand °4 holiday, and during the absence of the Minister Mr. D. P. CqsteUo, First Secretary, has acted as Charge d'Affaires.

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6. New Zealand Legation, United States of America The United States has been intimately concerned with the most important events of the year, and her actions at home and abroad have profoundly influenced the pattern into which those events have been shaped. It has therefore been more than ever necessary that the Government should be kept informed of the policy and actions ot the United States Government. To do this has been one of the chief functions of the New Zealand Legation at Washington. The Minister (Sir Carl Berendsen) has attended the meetings of the Heads of the British Commonwealth Missions stationed in Washington, where matters of common interest are discussed. These meetings, supplemented by similar meetings of counsellors, are among the many ways in which an intimate and valuable inter-Commonwealth liaison is maintained. There appears to be in the United States an ever-increasing interest in New Zealand and New Zealand affairs, and the Legation has been called upon to answer innumerable questions, many of them from intending immigrants, and has endeavoured to fulfil other requests for information by making available books, films, and other material. The publications of the Department of External Affairs have a wide circulation in governmental and educational institutions. As well as this, the Minister and other members of the Legation have, when possible, accepted invitations to speak from such bodies as Colombia, Princeton, and Cornell Universities, the American Society of International Law, and the American Association of University Women. The Legation has also dealt with a number of applications from New Zealanders for passports, as well as a large number of applications for visas for New Zealand. An important aspect of the Legation's work has been to give advice and assistance where necessary to New Zealanders, of whom there are many living in the United States. An endeavour is made to keep in touch with as many as possible, mainly through the medium of New Zealand News, a publication of which about 1,500 copies are distributed monthly. On Dominion Day the Minister and Lady Berendsen entertained about 150 New Zealanders, mainly from the Washington area. The Legation continues to provide advice and assistance to New Zealanders visiting the United States for business, scientific, and other purposes. In January, 1948, the Minister invested a number of American officers with decorations for services rendered to New Zealand during the war period. On 24 April, 1947, following discussions with the State Department, an Agreement with the United States on Copyright was signed in Washington by the Minister. An Agreement between United States and New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation

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was signed in Washington on 16 March, 1948, by the Minister of Finance, and, in addition, an International Wheat Agreement was signed on 25 March, 1948, for New Zealand by the Commercial Attache, Mr. R. W. Marshall. Arrangements were made for the exchange of copies of patents between the United States and New Zealand. Many of the normal activities of the Legation were necessarily curtailed by the calls made upon members of the staff to attend international conferences, which took some members of the staff, including the Minister, out of Washington for a considerable part of the year. The Minister led the New Zealand delegations to the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Trusteeship Council, the special session of the General Assembly on Palestine, the Interim Committee of the General Assembly, and the Far Eastern Commission. In addition, he was Chairman of the Fourth Committee (Trusteeship) of the Second Assembly and Vice-President of the Trusteeship Council. Among the other international conferences and discussions which directly concerned members of the Legation were the Far Eastern Commission (which with its many committees has been in continuous session), the International Emergency Food Council, the Atomic Energy Commission, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (in Mexico City), the International Wheat Council, the Food and Agriculture Organization (Geneva), and the British Commonwealth Conference on the Japanese Peace Settlement (Canberra), which was attended by Mr. G. R. Powles, Counsellor. The Minister and Lady Berendsen visited New Zealand during the year, leaving Washington on 18 January, 1948, and returning there on 19 March, 1948. Mr. J. S. Reid was Charge d'Affaires during the Minister's absence. In December, 1947, Mr. J. A. D. Nash, Scientific Attache, returned to New Zealand, being replaced by Mr. G. G. Taylor. 7. Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations, New York On 10 February, 1948, the Office of the New Zealand delegation to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations was merged into a newly-constituted Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations. This delegation will have its office at the seat of the United Nations, at present New York. The establishment of such a Permanent Delegation brings New Zealand into line with almost all members of the United Nations. It was a step dictated to a great extent by the need to save the considerable

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travelling* and hotel expenses involved in sending representatives and staff from New Zealand, Washington, or Ottawa to the numerous meetings of United Nations organs and committees. Equally important, in view pf the .expansion q£ th,e work of the United Ngjjpfls ancf its ramifications through the whole field of governmental activity, was the pressing need to have at the §eat of the Organization a branch of the Department of External Affairs whose officers rnight keep in touch with the United Nations Secretariat and see that New Zealand was adequately supplied with United Nations documents and with information on the network of activities of the Organization. Only in this way could New Zealand draw full advantage from its membership of the United Nations and make an adequate contribution. The staff consists of the Secretary-General (Dr. W. B. Sutch, who is alsp alternate to the New Zealand representative on the Economic and Social Council), a Second Secretary and two Third Secretaries. The staff is small, but the Permanent Delegation has already proved its usefulness by fulfilling the duties mentioned above and by serving all New Zealand delegations to the United Nations meetings, including those to the meetings of the Trusteeship Council and the Interim Committee of the (G-eneral Assembly (led by Sir Carl jßerendsen) and that (led by JVtr. Thorn) to the meetings of thp and §pcjal Council. It lias proved a great convenience and economy to have available for all such delegations a skilled Secretariat specialized on United Nations matters. A further economy, apparent from the list of conference? in Appendix 2, has been achieved by using this permanent New York staff to sit pn various United Nations bodies. 8. New Zealand Consulate-General, New York The New Zealand .Consulate-General at New Yprk shares the set of offices of the Permanent Delegation of Zealand to the United Nations ; this is convenient and economical of staff. The present Consul-General, Mr. T. O. W. Brebner, is also the Official Representative of the New Zealand Customs Department at New York. He has continued to perform the usual Consular duties of protecting and promoting New Zealand trade, issuing and renewing passports and visas, helping and advising New Zealanders overseas on commercial and industrial matters and giving them financial aid in case of need, performing notarial services, and receiving and assisting prominent New Zealanders and officials on Government business. His office has also given to businessmen and prospective

f Jhcmgjti, §.s nDtpc| tjxe Natiqns is prepared to pay travel fares from New Zealand of certain delegations."""

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visitors information on immigration, employment and trade prospects, tourist attractions, and on varied aspects of New Zealand life. Mr. Brebner left New York on a visit to New Zealand on 29 November, 1947, and left on his return to New York on 28 February, 1948. During his absence, Mr. J. R. Osbaldiston, Assistant Customs Representative in New York, acted as Consul. The Consul-General was a member of the New Zealand delegation to the second regular session of the General Assembly, and represented New Zealand at various meetings in New York, including that of the Executive Board of the International Children's Emergency Fund. OVERSEAS REPRESENTATION IN NEW ZEALAND To the three existing diplomatic missions—those of the United States of America, France, and the Soviet Union—three more were added during the course of the year, by the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. The Governments of these countries accepted the position that certain material circumstances, including the need to assemble and train properly qualified staff, would prevent New Zealand from following the normal practice of making the exchange of missions immediately reciprocal. The American Minister (the Honourable Avra M. Warren) left for the United States of America on leave in July, 1947, and was subsequently recalled; his successor (the Honourable Robert M. Scotten) arrived in New Zealand on 26 February, 1948, and will present his credentials on 7 April; between July, 1947, and April, 1948, Mr. John S. Service was Charge d'Affaires ad interim. The French Minister (Mr. Armand Gazel) left New Zealand for France on leave in July, 1947, since when Mr. Henri Rollet has been Charge d y Affaires ad interim. The Minister of the U.S.S.R. left New Zealand for Moscow on leave in August, 1947 ; for the rest of the period covered by this report Mr. Pavel K. Ermoshin has been Charge d'Affaires ad interim. Dr. A. F. H. van Troostenburg de Bruyn, first Minister of the Netherlands to New Zealand, presented his credentials on 19 June, 1947 ; in January, 1948, unfortunately, ill health necessitated his return to the Netherlands; until the arrival of Mr. J. B. D. Pennink, who has been nominated as Minister, Dr. W. Arriens will continue to act as Charge d'Affaires ad interim. The first Minister of Belgium in New Zealand (Mr. Armand Nihotte, formerly Consul-General of Belgium in New Zealand) presented his credentials on 27 November, 1947. The first Minister of Denmark in New Zealand (Mr. C. M. Rottboll) presented his credentials on 12 September, 1947; Mr. Rottboll is also Minister

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of Denmark in Australia and will normally reside at Canberra; in his absence Mr. Karl I. Eskelund has acted as Charge d y Affaires ad interim. Mr. Nihotte has been Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps during the absence of the Dean, Mr. Gazel. Of New Zealand's eight fellow-members of the British Commonwealth, only the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are represented in New Zealand. Sir Patrick Duff, K.C.8., K.C.V.0., Mr. Alfred Rive, and Mr. A. R. Cutler, V.C., are the High Commissioners for those countries. On 24 January, 1948, Mr. A. W. Snelling replaced Mr. N. E. Costar as Deputy High Commissioner for the United Kingdom. China, Sweden, and Switzerland maintain career Consulates for New Zealand at Wellington. Agreement has been given to the establishment in the near future of a Consulate of Argentina and to the reopening of the Consulate of Italy. The channel for relations between the New Zealand Government and overseas missions is the Department of External Affairs, whose responsibility it also is to deal with questions of diplomatic practice and privilege.

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APPENDIX 1 AGREEMENTS CONCLUDED BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND OTHER COUNTRIES 1 APRIL, 1947, TO 31 MARCH, 1948 I. Multilateral Agreements Accession by New Zealand to the International Agreement for the Prevention of False Indications of Origin on Goods, signed at Madrid, 14 April, 1891. New Zealand acceded, 17 May, 1947. Accession included Western Samoa. Accession by New Zealand to the International Agreement regarding False Indications of Origin on Goods, signed at London, 2 June, 1934. New Zealand acceded, 17 May, 1947. Accession included Western Samoa. Protocol amending the Convention on International Civil Aviation of 7 December, 1944. Signed at Montreal, 27 May, 1947. (See below for note of New Zealand ratification.) * Universal Postal Convention, together with Final Protocol and Detailed Regulations for the Execution of the Convention. Signed at Paris, 5 July, 1947. * Air-mail Convention, together with Final Protocol. Signed at Paris, 5 July, 1947. * Insured Letter and Box Agreement, together with Final Protocol and Detailed Regulations for the Execution of the Agreement. Signed at Paris, 5 July, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Convention concerning the age for admission of children to employment in agriculture, signed at Geneva, 16 November, 1921. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Convention concerning the regulation of certain special systems of recruiting workers, signed at Geneva, 20 June, 1936. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification included Western Samoa. Ratification by New Zealand of Convention fixing the minimum age for admission of children to industrial employment, signed at Geneva, 22 June, 1937. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Convention concerning the age for admission of children to non-industrial employment, signed at Geneva, 22 June, 1937. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Convention concerning the regulation of written contracts of employment of indigenous workers, signed at Geneva, 27 June, 1939. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification included Western Samoa. Ratification by New Zealand of Convention concerning penal sanctions for breach of contracts by indigenous workers, signed at Geneva, 27 June, 1939. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification included Western Samoa.

* Not binding on New Zealand until further action taken (e.g., ratification or acceptance).

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Ratification by New Zealand of Constitution of the International Labour Organization and Instrument of Amendment 1946, signed at Montreal, 9 October, 1946. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Final Articles Revision Convention, signed at Montreal, 9 October, 1946. New Zealand ratification deposited, 8 July, 1947. * Convention concerning social policy in non-metropolitan territories. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. * Convention concerning the application of international labour standards to non-metropolitan territories. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. * Convention concerning the right of association and the settlement of labour disputes in non-metropolitan territories. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. * Convention concerning the maximum length of contracts of employment of indigenous workers. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. * Convention concerning labour inspection in industry and commerce. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. * Recommendation concerning labour inspection. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. * Recommendation concerning labour inspection in mining and transport undertakings. Adopted by the thirtieth International Labour Conference at Geneva, 11 July, 1947. Acceptance by New Zealand of Protocol for the Regulation of Whaling, signed at Washington, 2 December, 1946. New Zealand acceptance deposited, 22 July, 1947. Protocol to the Accord of 27 July, 1946, on German Patents. Signed at London, 30 July, 1947.| Agreement for the formation of British Commonwealth Pacific Air Lines, Limited. Signed at Canberra, 4 August, 1947.f Ratification by New Zealand of the Agreement for the Preservation or Restoration of Rights of Industrial Property affected by the Second World War, together with Final Protocol and Additional Final Protocol, signed at Neuchatel, 8 February, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 22 September, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Protocol amending the Convention on International Civil Aviation of 7 December, 1944, signed at Montreal, 27 May, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 22 September, 1947.

* Not binding on New Zealand until further action taken (e.g., ratification or acceptance).

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* International Telecommunications Convention, with Final Protocol and Additional Protocols, signed at Atlantic City, 2 October, 1947. Final Act of the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment. Signed at Geneva, 30 October, 1947. (Signature of Final Act merely authenticated text of agreement.) Accession by New Zealand to the International Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, signed at Rome, 2 June, 1928. New Zealand acceded, 4 December, 1947. Accession included Western Samoa. Accession by New Zealand to Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, adopted at London, 13 February, 1946. New Zealand acceded, 10 December, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Treaty of Peace between Allied and Associated Powers and Italy, signed at Paris, 10 February, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 24 December, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Treaty of Peace between Allied and Associated Powers and Roumania, signed at Paris, 10 February, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 31 December, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Treaty of Peace between Allied and Associated Powers and Bulgaria, signed at Paris 10 February, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 31 December, 1947. Ratification by New Zealand of Treaty of Peace between Allied and Associated Powers and Hungary, signed at Paris, 10 February, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 31 December, 1947. • Ratification by New Zealand of Treaty of Peace between Allied and Associated Powers and Finland, signed at Paris, 10 February, 1947. New Zealand ratification deposited, 31 December, 1947. Final Act of the United Nations Maritime Conference, signed at Geneva, 6 March, 1948. (This is the authenticated record of the Conference only; it imposes no obligations.) * International Wheat Agreement, signed at Washington, 25 March, 1948. 11. Bilateral Agreements Canada Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. Signed at Ottawa, 12 March, 1948 f. Chechoslovakia Exchange of Notes constituting an Agreement for the Reciprocal Release of Assets. Signed at Wellington and Sydney, 7 November, 1946, and 30 July, 1947 f. Agreement regarding the granting of credits for the purchase of New Zealand wool. Signed at London, 22 January, 1948 f.

* Not binding on New Zealand-until further action taken {e.g., ratification or acceptance). f Ratification not required.

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France Agreement regarding the granting of credits for the purchase of wool and other products. Signed at Wellington, 2 July, 1947 f. Exchange of Notes establishing a Visa Abolition Agreement. Signed at Wellington, 22 November, 1947 f. United Kingdom Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. Signed at London, 27 May, 1947 f. Exchange of Notes extending the provisions of the Air Training Scheme Agreement of 27 November, 1939. Signed at London, 22 September, 1947 f. United States of America Exchange of Notes constituting an Agreement Relating to Copyright* Signed at Washington, 24 April, 1947 f. * Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. Signed at Washington, 16 March, 1948.

* Not binding on New Zealand until further action taken (e.g., ratification or acceptance). f Ratification not required.

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APPENDIX 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AT WHICH NEW ZEALAND WAS REPRESENTED (1 APRIL, 1947-31 MARCH, 1948)

Part I.—Conferences under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies

Title. Place. Date. , Names of Representatives. 1. Preparatory Commission of the Geneva 10 AprilRt. Hon. W. Nash. United Nations Conference on 22 August Mr. J. P. D. Johnsen. Trade and Employment Mr. L. C. Webb. Mr. G. Laurence. Mr. H. Davis. Mr. E. J. Fawcett. Mr. F. W. Lawrence. Mr. L. S. Nicol. Mr. N. S. McClumpha. Mr. T. P. Davin.* Mr. J. E. Stokes. Mr. J. P. Lewin. Mr. K. L. Press. Mr. G. D. L. White. Mr. S. N. Braithwaite. Mr. I. G. Lythgoe. 2. Meeting of Governmental ExGeneva 14-25 April . . Mr. T. P. Davin (Obserperts on Passports and ver).* Frontier Formalities 3. General Assembly of the United New York.. 28 AprilSir Carl Berendsen.* Nations (First Special Session) 15 May Mr. J. S. Reid.* 4. Assembly of the International Montreal . . 6-27 May Mr. S. R. Meatchem. Civil Aviation Organization Mr. F. T. Young. 5. Universal Postal Union (Twelfth Paris 7 May-5 July.. Mr. P. N. Crver. Congress) Mr. P. F. Stevens. 6. Administrative Radio ComAtlantic City 15 MayMr. H. W. Curtis. munications Conference 2 October Mr. T. R. Clarkson. Mr. S. T. A. Emmett. Mr. L. J. Elliston. 7. Fiscal Commission of the EcoNew York.. 19-29 May . . Dr. A. R. F. MacKay. nomic and Social Council Miss H. N. Hampton.* 8. International Emergency Food Washington 26 and 28 May Mr. R. W. Marshall." Council (fourth meeting) 9. Executive Committee of Food Washington 2-6 June Mr. E. J. Fawcett. and Agriculture Organization 10. Executive Board of the InterNew York. . 17 and 19 June Miss H. N. Hampton.* national Children's Emergency Fund 11. International Labour ConGeneva 19 June-11 July Rt. Hon. W. J. Jordan.* ference (thirtieth session) Mr. H. L. Bockett. Mr. G. M. F. Jackson. Mr. T. P. Davin.* Mr. W. J. Mountjoy. Mr. J. A. S. Herring. Mr. P. M. Butler. 12. Plenipotentiary Conference to Atlantic City 1 July—2 October Mr. H. W. Curtis. revise the International TeleMr. T. R. Clarkson. communications Convention * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

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Part I.—Conferences under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies—continued

Title. Place. Date. Names of Representatives. 13. Special Cereals Conference sponParis 9-12 July Mr. E. J. Fawcett. sored by Food and Agriculture Organization and International Emergency Food Council 14. Preparatory Commission of the Lausanne . . 15-25 July Rt. Hon. W. J. Jordan.* International Refugee OrganMr. T. P. Davin.* ization (third part of first session) 15. Economic and Social Council of New York. . 19 July— Mr. J. Thorn.* the United Nations (fifth 17 August Mr. A. R. Perry.* session) Miss H. N. Hampton.* 16. International Conference of Montreal . . 4-12 August .. Mr. G. E. F. Wood. Labour Statisticians (sixth Mr. J. V. T. Baker. session) 17. Food and Agriculture Conference London 5-12 August .. Mr. R. E. F. Matthews. on the Infestation of Stored Foodstuffs 18. International High Frequency Atlantic Cit} 7 15 AugustMr. H. W. Curtis. Broadcasting Conference 2 October Mr. T. R. Clarkson. 19. Executive Committee of the Geneva 21 and 22 Mr. E. J. Fawcett. Food and Agriculture OrganAugust ization 20. Annual Conference of the Food Geneva 25 AugustMr. E. J. Fawcett. and Agriculture Organization 11 September Mr. R. W. Marshall.* (third session) Mr. N. S. McClumpha. Mr. A. P. O'Shea. Mr. J. V. White. 21. Social Commission of the EcoNew York. . 28 AugustMr. J. Thorn.* nomic and Social Council 12 September 22. Ad Hoc Committee of the United New York.. 28 AugustSir Carl Berendsen.* Nations General Assembly on 12 September Mr. R. B. Taylor.* Information from Non-self-governing Territories 23. Regional Study Conference on Nanking .. 3-12 September Mr. W. Parsonage. Fundamental Education in the Far East (UNESCO) 24. World Statistical Conference.. Washington 6-18 September Mr. G. E. F. Wood. Mr. A. R. Low. 25. General Assembly of the United New York.. 16 SeptemberSir Carl Berendsen.* Nations (second regular ses29 November Mr. J" Thorn.* sion) Mr. J. V. Wilson.* Mrs. I. E. Roberts. \ Mr. T. O. W. Brebner.* Dr. W. B. Sutch.* Mr. C. K. Webster.* Mr. C. Craw.* Miss I. P. Coates.* Miss H. N. Hampton.* 26. Executive Board of the InterNew York. . 2-7 October Mr. T. 0. W. Brebner.* national Children's Emergency Fund 27. Preparatory Commission of the Geneva 21 OctoberMr. T. P. Davin.* International Refugee Organ1 November ization (fourth part of first session) * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

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Part I.—Conferences under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies—continued

Title. Place. Date. Names of Representatives. 28. Preparatory Asian Regional New Delhi 27 OctoberMr. E. B. Taylor. Conference (ILO) 8 November Mr. L. S. Dixon. Mr. J. R. Hanlon. Mr. A. B. Grant. 29. International Emergency Food Washington 27 October Mr. R. W. Marshall.* Council (fifth and final meeting) 30. General Conference of the United Mexico City 5 November— Dr. C. E. Beeby. Nations Educational, Scien4 December Mr. D. Forsyth. tific, and Cultural OrganizaMiss L. C. M. McPhee.* tion (second session) Mr. J. A. D. Nash.* 31. International Advisory ComNew York. . 12 November Dr. W. B. Sutch.* mittee on United Nations Appeal for Children 32. International Conference on Havana 21 November, Rt. Hon. W. Nash. Trade and Employment (Cuba) 1947Mr. J. P. D. Johnsen. 24 March, 1948 Mr. E. J. Fawcett. Mr. J. E. Stokes. Mr. H. Thomas. Mr. A. R. Low. Mr. P. A. Barnes. Mr. G. H. Datson. Mr. G. J. Schmitt. 33. Trusteeship Council of the New York.. 20 NovemberSir Carl Berendsen.* United Nations (first part of 16 December Mr. G. R. Laking.* second session) Mr. C. Craw.* Mr. R. B. Taylor.* 34. Economic Commission for Asia Baguio 24 November— Brigadier F. L. Hunt. and the Far East of the Eco(Philippines) 6 December Mr. R. L. Hutchens.* nomic and Social Council 35. Executive Board of the InterNew York.. 2 December .. Dr. W. B. Sutch.* national Children's Emergency Fund 36. Special Committee of Economic New York.. 17 and 22 DeDr. W. B. Sutch.* and Social Council on United cember and 14 Nations Appeal for Children and 23 Janu37. Interim Committee of the New York.. ary 5 and 9 January Sir Carl Berendsen.* General Assembly Mr. J. Thorn.* Mr. J. S. Reid.* Mr. C. Craw.* Miss I. P. Coates.* -38. Preparatory Commission of the Geneva 20-31 January Mr. M. C. Smith.* International Refugee OrganiMr. B. D. Zohrab.* zation (fifth part of first session) 39. Economic and Social Council of New York. . 2 February— Mr. J. Thorn.* the United Nations (sixth 11 March Dr. W. B. Sutch.* session) Miss H. N. Hampton.* Mr. B. S. Lendrum.* 40. Trusteeship Council (second New York.. 18 FebruaryMr. J. S. Reid.* part of second session) 10 March Mr. C. Craw.* 41. International Maritime ConGeneva 19 FebruaryRt. Hon. W. J. Jordan.* ference 6 March Mr. T. P. Davin.* ! Mr. A. G. Beadle.* * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

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Part-I. Conferences under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies—continued

Part II.—Peace Conferences and Meetings concerning Reparations and Similar Problems

Title. Place. Date. Names of Representatives. 42. Interim Committee of the GenNew York.. 19, 24, 25, and Mr. J. Thorn.* eral Assembly 26 February Mr. T- S. Reid.* Mr. C. Craw.* Miss I. P. Coates.* 43. Interim Committee of the GenNew York.. 2, 15, and 24 Mr. J. S. Reid.* eral Assembly March Mr. C. Craw.* 44. Committee on Administrative New York.. 3 March Dr. W. B. Sutch.* Budget of International Children's Emergency Fund 45. Executive Board of the InterNew York,. 9-12 March .. Dr. W. B. Sutch.* national Children's EmerMr. B. S. Lendrum.* gency Fund 46. United Nations Conference on Geneva 23 MarchMr. T. P. Davin.* Freedom of Information 21 April Mr. B. D. Zohrab.* * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

Title. PlaceDate. Names of Representatives. 1. Far Eastern Commission and Washington In continuous Sir Carl Berendsen.* Committees session from Mr. G. R. Powles.* 26 February, Mr. J. S. Reid.* 1946 Air Commodore J. L_ Findlay.* Mr. R. B. Taylor.* Mr. C. K. Webster.* 2. Assembly of Inter- Allied ReparaBrussels . . In session from Mr. R. V. Jackson.* tions Agency 28 February, Sir Desmond Norton. 1946 3. Inter-Allied Trade Board for Washington In session from Mr. R. W. Marshall.* Japan 28 October, 1946 * Members of the stafi of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

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Part III.—British Commonwealth Meetings

Title. Place. Date. Names of Representatives. 1. Empire Forestry Conference .. London 16 JuneMr. A. R. Entrican. 19 July 2. Commonwealth and Empire London 8-10 July .. 1 Dr. C. A. Taylor. Health and Tuberculosis Conference 3. South Pacific Air Transport Canberra .. 11-14 August.. Mr. J. G. Barclay.* Council (second meeting) Mr. F. Shanahan.* Mr. T. A. Barrow. Mr. E. C. Gibson. Sir Leonard Isitt. Group Captain T. W. White. Mr. D. O. Haskell. Mr. W. R. Dyer. Mr. G. Hope. Mr. F. H. Bass. Mr. G. N. Roberts. 4. Commonwealth discussions on Canberra .. 26 AugustRt. Hon. P. Fraser. Japanese Peace Settlement 2 September Mr. J. G. Barclay. Mr. A. D. Mcintosh.* Mr. G. R. Powles.* Mr. F. H. Corner.* Mr. R. R. Cunninghame. * 5. Military Mapping and AeroLondon 1—11 September Mr. R. G. Dick. nautical Charting Conference Brigadier G. B. Parkin6. United Kingdom and Dominions Ottawa 24-30 September son. Dr. T. D. M. Stout. Medical Histories Liaison Committee * Members of the stall of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

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Part IV.—Miscellaneous Conferences

Title. Place. Date. Names of Representatives. 1. Committee of Inter-governmen-Geneva 14-26 April . . Major A. Highet. tal Experts for Study of Conventions for the Protection of War Victims 2. International Meeting on Marine New York.. 27 AprilMr. H. W. Curtis. Radio Aids to Navigation and New 11 May Mr. T. R. Clarkson. London 3. Provisional Maritime ConsultaParis 16-19 May .. Mr. T. B. McGuire.* tive Council 4. International Conference on Basle 2-7 June Colonel D. G. Wallace. Military Medicine and PharmO pTT dLy 5. International Wheat Council.. Washington 23 June Mr. R. W. Marshall.* Mr. J. S. Scott.* ■6. International Conference on PeNew York.. 14-17 July . . Dr. H. Deem. diatrics 7. International Conference of Copenhagen 20-26 July Mr. F. J. Newhook. Micro-biology (fourth conferMr. A. T. Johns. ence) Dr. D. Stewart. ■8. Meetings of Technical ComToronto 4 AugustDr. M. A. F. Barnett. missions of the International 13 September Meteorological Organization '9. Fifth International Dental ConBoston 4-8 August Mr. J. L. Saunders. ference 10. South East Asia Social Welfare Singapore . . 18-23 August Mr. W. Parsonage. Conference 11. Fuel Economy Conference The Hague 2-9 September Mr. A. E. Davenport. Mr. R. J. Harvey. 12. Conference of Directors of the Washington 22 SeptemberDr. M. A. F. Barnett. International Meteorological 11 October Organization 13. Meeting of Representatives of Sydney 26-28 November Mr. R. T. G. Patrick. Signatories to South Pacific Mr. R. H. Wade.* Commission Agreement 14. International Wheat Council .. Washington 8 December .. Mr. R. W. Marshall.* Mr. J. S. Scott.* 15. International Wheat Conference Washington 28 January, 1948 Mr. R. W. Marshall.* Mr. J. S. Scott.* 16. War Histories Conference Washington 4-6 February.. Major-General H. K. Kippenberger. Colonel M. C.Fairbrother. * Members of the Staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand Overseas Diplomatic Mission.

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APPENDIX 3 PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Agreement for the Establishment of a South Pacific Health Service Publication between the Government of New Zealand, the Government of Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission. 7 September, 1946 ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 South Pacific Commission : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Conference held at Canberra, 28 January-6 February, 1947, for the Purpose of Establishing an Advisory Commission for the South Pacific ... ... ... ... ... 26 List of Overseas Representatives in New Zealand and New Zealand Representatives Overseas. June, 1947. (Out of print) ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 Exchange of Notes between the Governments of New Zealand and the United States of America constituting an Agreement relating to Copyright. Washington, 24 April, 1947 ... ... 28 Select Documents on the Surrender and Control of Japan ... 29 The Conference of Paris : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Conference held to consider the Treaties of Peace with Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland. Paris, 29 July-15 October, 1946 ... ... ... ... 30 The United Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation to the Special Session of the General Assembly called to Constitute and Instruct a Special Committee to prepare for the Consideration of the Question of Palestine. Flushing Meadows, New York, 28 April-15 May, 1947 31 Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory of Western Samoa as approved by the General Assembly at the Sixty-second Plenary Meeting of its First Session on 13 December, 1946 ... 32 The United Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Second Part of the First Regular Session of the General Assembly held at New York, 23 October-15 December, 1946 33 International Refugee Organization : Constitution of the International Refugee Organization and Agreement on Interim Measures to be taken in respect of Refugees and Displaced Persons ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of New Zealand for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. (Out of print) ... ... 35 The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization : Report of the New Zealand Delegation to the First General Conference held at Paris, 19 November-10 December, 1946 36 World Health Organization: Final Acts of the International Health Conference held at New York, 19 June-22 July, 1946 37 Japanese Peace Settlement: Report on British Commonwealth Conference, Canberra, 26 August-2 September, 1947, and Comments and Proposals regarding New Zealand Policy towards certain Issues of the Japanese Peace Settlement ... 38 Western Samoa, 1947 : Report to the Trusteeship Council by the United Nations Mission to Western Samoa ... ... 39

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS- —continued United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment: Report Publication by the New Zealand Delegation of Conference Proceedings prior to the Final Conference at Havana, Cuba, scheduled to open on 21 November, 1947 ... ... ... ... 40 United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment: Report on the Second Session adopted by the Preparatory Committee at Geneva, 22 August, 1947 ... ... ... ... 41 International Accord on German Patents and Protocol signed by Representatives of certain Governments, Members of the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency, London, 27 July, 1946 ... 42 General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade ... ... ... 43 Agreement between the Governments of certain Countries Members of the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property, for the Preservation or Restoration of Industrial Property Rights affected by the Second World War. Neuchatel, 8 February, 1947 ... ... ... ... 44 Treaties of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Finland. Paris, 10 February, 1947 45 List of Overseas Representatives in New Zealand and New Zealand Representatives Overseas. March, 1948 ... ... ... 46 Exchange of Notes between the Governments of New Zealand and the French Republic concerning the Mutual Abolition of Visas. Wellington, 22 November, 1947... ... ... 47 Agreement between the Governments of New Zealand and the Czechoslovak Republic regarding the granting of Credits for the Purchase of New Zealand Wool. London, 22 January, 1948 48 Agreement between the Governments of New Zealand and the French Republic regarding the granting of Credits for the Purchase of Wool and other New Zealand Products. Wellington, 2 July, 1947 ... ... ... ... ... 49 Supplementary Protocol regarding the Entry into Force of the Whaling Protocol of 26 November, 1945. London, 12 March, 1947 ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Protocol for the Regulation of Whaling during the Season 1947-48. Washington, 2 December, 1946... ... ... ... 51 Agreement between the Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand for the Formation of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Limited. Canberra, 4 August, 1947. (In force, 4 August, 1947) ... ... ... 52 Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. London, 13 February, 1946. (In force, 10 December, 1947) 53 United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment: Final Act and Related Documents (including the Havana Charter). Havana, Cuba, from 21 November, 1947, to 24 March, 1948 54 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization : Report of the New Zealand Delegation to the Second General Conference held in Mexico City, 5 November-4 December, 1947 ' 55

PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS —continued Agreement between the Governments of New Zealand and Pub Canada for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. Ottawa, 12 March, 1948 ... ..? ... ... 56 Agreement between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the United States of America for the avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income. Washington, 16 March, 1948 ... 57 United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment: Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Conference held at Havana, Cuba, 21 November, 1947-24 March, 1948 ... 58 Protocols and Declaration to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ... ... ... ... ... ... 59 The United Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Second Regular Session of the General Assembly held at New York, 16 September-29 November, 1947 ... ... 60 The United Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation to the Special Session of the General Assembly on Palestine, New York, April-May, 1948 (in the press) ... ... ... 61 Exchange of Notes between the Governments of New Zealand and Sweden concerning the Mutual Abolition of Visas. (In the press) ... ... ... ... ... ... 62 Treaties and Inter-governmental Agreements which affect New Zealand. (In the press) ... ... ... ... 63 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Third Session held at Geneva, 25 August-11 September, 1947. (In the press) ... ... ... ... ... ... 64 Department of External Affairs : Annual Report 1 April, 194731 March, 1948. (In the press) ... ... ... 65

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