A.—s

12

that reports would doubtless bo furnished for the consideration of the Permanent Mandates Committee. In this connection 1 refer to recommendation to the Council, No. 3, adopted by the First Assembly on the !Bth December last, reading: " The Mandatories should bo asked to present to the, committee a report on the recent administration of the territories confided to their care." I trust that a report, such as is indicated in the recommendation, is now on its way from New Zealand, but, if not, that an account will be given of the administration of Samoa prior to the granting of the mandate in the first report of the administration under the mandate, which is required under Article 22 of the Covenant. Lord Robert Cecil expressed the hope that tho "A " and "B " mandates which had been submitted to the Council would be so modified as to provide bettor safeguards against slavery and the liquor traffic, and that there would be equal opportunity as regards trade and commerce for all members of the League. I thought the time appropriate for making a statement on New Zealand's administration of Samoa. My remarks were reported in the Provisional Record, copy of which I enclose ; but I may here briefly mention that I argued that military occupation of a territory, even if carried out in the spirit of Article 22 of the Covenant, was unsatisfactory, and that delay in the granting of a mandate led to unrest. I referred to our experience in several of the smaller islands of the Pacific, which had led the New Zealand Government to prohibit the sale in Samoa, except for sacramental and medicinal purposes, of alcoholic liquors, not only to the Native race but to the white settler ; and I also referred to the provision in the Constitution Order for the ultimate representation of the Native race on the Legislative Council. Finally, the following resolution was passed : — " The Assembly, having considered the report of the 19th September, 1921, addressed by the Sub-committee on Mandates to Committee No. 6 and endorsed by that committee, resolves to approve the terms of that report " (Document A. 126). I furnish copy of a letter addressed to me by M. Rappard, chief of the Mandates Section of the League Secretariat, which may be of interest: — "Dear Sir James, — "League of Nations, Geneva, 22nd'September, 1921. " A sprained foot, which prevented me from moving about in the Assembly this morning, also prevented me from thanking you as I should have liked to have done for your admirable speech. I am sure that the statement of New Zealand's experience in Samoa made a deep and lasting impression on tho Assembly, ami thereby undoubtedly contributed towards bringing the, question of mandates one step further along the line of evolution, which 1 hope from now on will continue happily. " With renewed thanks and hearty congratulations, " I am, &c, " Wm. R. Rappard." Eastern Galicia. —On the 27th September the Assembly passed the resolution (Document A. 122) submitted to it by the Sixth Committee with reference to the status of E as tern Galicia. Russian Famine. —The report of the Sixth Committee on relief work in Russia, which forms the subject of Document A. 162, came before tho Assembly on the 30th September. Tho debate was a lengthy one. It was not possible for New Zealand to be represented in committee, and therefore I am not able to furnish so detailed an account as I would like of a matter which may have great influence on the future of Europe. It appears that Dr. Nansen obtained from the Soviet Government, during his recent visit to Russia, guarantees, which lie considered sufficient, that in the event of relief work being undertaken tho food supplied would be used only for the feeding of those residing in tho famine-stricken areas, and would not be seized by the Soviet Government for use in other areas (see his speech : Provisional Verbatim Record of the Seventh Sitting, 9th September, already sent to you). Dr. Nansen, of whose integrity there is no possible doubt, has, I regret to say, been the object in many quarters of a most unjust attack, and. a portion of the European Press has severely criticized his arrangements with the Russian Government. There is, of course, the side of the question, on which considerable stress has been laid, that if relief work were undertaken by any of the European Governments there would be no guarantee that the Soviet Government would cease spending money on propaganda in the very countries which were helping to feed Russia's starving millions. Dr. Nansen made a most moving and eloquent appeal to the Assembly to endeavour to forget tho political aspects of the question, and to consider it purely from the, humanitarian point of view ; and he drew a terrible picture of millions dying of hunger in the bitter cold of the north if relief work were not undertaken. In the course of tho debate one of tho Serbian delegates introduced a motion condemning the Soviet Government, and holding it chiefly responsible for the present catastrophe in Russia. As was pointed out, it was neither the time nor the place to discuss the internal policy of that country ; and, furthermore, that the League did not possess the right to pass sentence on the domestic organization of any nation, and the motion was withdrawn. The Assembly eventually adopted, the committee's report —which, in my opinion is unsatisfactory, although it could not have been otherwise in face of the attitude of most of the, European Powers —and passed additional resolutions, one of which affirmed its confidence in Dr. Nansen (see Document A. 175). It is sincerely to be hoped that the International Conference which is meeting this month at Brussels will be able to devise a scheme of relief, and thus avert a catastrophe which, if reports are not exaggerated, may well prove to be unparalleled in tho history of the human race. Albania. —The report on Albania (Document A. 151), which gave rise to a very animated discussion in Committee No. 6, was presented to the Assembly on tho 3rd October, and after further lengthy discussion, during which the parties to tho dispute gave expression to their feelings, the resolutions with which the report concludes were passed. . . .