A.—s

Governments, but not representing them. Such a proceeding would give the Conference a freer hand, and those taking part in it would not be embarrassed by governmental instructions or by political considerations. Thus the Conference, not being of a diplomatic nature, would have no authority to prepare conventions, but would be able to make recommendations for the consideration of the Governments. Mention was made in the course of the discussion by the Second Committee of the peculiar position occupied by the British Empire as a whole, and of the inter-Imperial relations which must be taken into account when international questions were under discussion. A mere glance at Document A. 24 shows that the sphere of work suggested by the Preparatory Committee is a most ambitious one, but it became clear from the information furnished by the chairman of the Preparatory Committee, who was present at the discussion in the Second Committee, that the preliminary draft programmes would be subject to a process of careful selection with a view to devising for the international Conference an agenda which would come within a reasonable compass. No definite suggestion for the date on which the international Conference is to be called was made. The preparatory work is so vast that considerable time is needed for its completion. Unfortunately, however, statistics collected and tabulated in the early days are likely to be out of date when the Conference itself meets, unless they are subject to a continual revision as new statistics become available. When the Rapporteur's draft report was before the Second Committee it was observed that it contained a hint that a via media might be found which would enable the delegates at the Conference to deal not only with economic truth but with national policy; but it is conceivable that there would be many pitfalls open to a hybrid representation of this kind, and several delegates reiterated that the method for the Governments to adopt would be to nominate representatives who would meet as experts and, not being hampered by national policy, be free to make recommendations for the consideration of their Governments. Some amendments of drafting were accepted by the Rapporteur, and the report as it finally emerged from his hands, together with a resolution couched in general terms, received the assent of the Assembly at its meeting on the 21st September. (See Document A. 76.) Attention is drawn to the speech by the Rapporteur, M. Loucheur, made in the Assembly on the 21st September, and to that which was delivered by one of the German delegates. A provisional report of both speeches appears in the Journal of the 22nd September. It will be observed that reference was made to over-industrialization, without an attempt to maintain a proper balance between agricultural and industrial production : to the fact that in many cases wars were due as much to economic as to other causes ; and to the agreement regulating production which had recently been made between the metallurgical industries of Germany, France, and Luxemburg, to which agreement, it was hoped, Belgium would ultimately be a party. Committee on Intellectual Co-operation. The papers before the Second Committee were those sections of Documents A. 6 and A. 6a, which deal with the subject, together with Documents A. 15, A. 26, A. 27, A. 28, A. 45, and C. 422 M. 181. The work of the Committee on Intellectual Co-operation is so varied that it is not possible to give in a brief compass a clear account of what is being done ; the documents, however, provide full information. Some particulars of the origin and development of the committee were given in the reports of the Fifth and Sixth Assemblies. It will be noted that the gift by the Government of France of a building in Paris to house the staff of the Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, and of an annual subsidy of 1,000,000 francs, has been followed by gifts of annual subsidies of 100,000 French francs and 15,000 gold francs by the Governments of Poland and Czecho-Slovakia respectively ; and, naturally, expression has been given to the hope that other Governments will follow the example. This year there was not a lengthy discussion on that part of the work of the Committee on Intellectual Co-operation which deals with the instruction of children and youth in the existence and aims of the League of Nations. It is recognized that action to be taken on these lines is a matter for individual Governments, although, of course, the Committee on Intellectual Co-operation can be of assistance in co-ordinating and giving the benefit of its experience. The British delegate introduced a motion urging Governments of States members of the League to give the report on this subject careful consideration, and to take steps to put into effect any recommendations which might be found suitable for their respective countries. This resolution was accepted. The Austrian delegate introduced a resolution asking that steps might be taken with a view to examining the possibility of establishing scholarships for university students, whereby they would be able to visit Geneva both before and during the annual Assemblies in order to obtain first-hand knowledge of the work of the League. On a subsequent occasion he explained that his resolution had reference more expecially to countries with a depreciated currency, but he was able to accept a resolution drafted in more general terms. The Serbian delegate made an appeal for gifts to States, such as Serbia : Poland, and Roumania, which had suffered severely from invasion, of scientific books and apparatus, models, pictures, &c., especially for use in schools, and he based his appeal on a resolution of the Third Assemblv passed on the 28th September, 1922, which read as follows :— " The Assembly invites the Council to stimulate an intellectual co-operation based upon international solidarity, in order to procure scientific books and documents for the universities and schools of those countries which, as a result of war, have been deprived of them and which have not sufficient resources to acquire them." The Second Committee's report (Document A. 80), with the resolutions attached thereto, was passed, at the meeting of the Assembly on the 23rd September.

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