A.—6

He pointed out the great expansion in trade in both East and West Africa, and alluded to the £10,000,000 which His Majesty's Government in Great Britain had decided to guarantee for increasing transport facilities in East Africa. He also mentioned the recent establishment of a Governors' Conference in East Africa and the successful completion in the past summer of the negotiations as to control of the Rhodesian railway system. He then referred to the great prosperity of Ceylon and Malaya, alluding to the importance of the rubber restriction scheme. Hong Kong, on the other hand, had been through a difficult period owing to the serious situation in China and the Canton boycott of shipping. After describing the great improvement in the political situation in Palestine and its steady development, Mr. Amery ended his review with a reference to the successful conclusion of the negotiations regarding the Mosul Frontier and to the undeveloped resources of the Kingdom of Iraq. This review was followed by statements from the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa regarding the position in New Guinea, Western Samoa, and South-west Africa, and by a statement from the Prime Minister of Canada regarding the Canada and West Indies Trade Agreement, 1925. Mr. Bruce emphasized the great importance of New Guinea to Australia. He dwelt especially 011 the public-health policy now being pursued there, on the need for a system of training for its administrative officers, and on its possibilities of economic development. Mr. Coates described, in particular, the economic progress made and also the development of self-government amongst the natives of Western Samoa. General Hertzog gave a short account of the progressive stages in the constitutional and administrative development of South-west Africa during the last few years ; he also mentioned the recent negotiations between the Union and Portuguese Governments as to the Angola - South-west Africa Boundary. All these statements were subsequently published.* Discussion also took place as to various matters of common interest affecting mandated territories. These are dealt with in Section IX of this report. IX. QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE WORK OF THE PERMANENT MANDATES COMMISSION OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Questions of common interest in relation to mandated territories were referred to a special committee which included representatives of Great Britain, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of' South Africa. This committee had under consideration two questions raised by the Permanent Mandates Commission in their report to the Council of the League upon which the Council had invited all the Mandatory Governments to express an opinion— namely, whether petitioners from mandated territories should be heard in person by the Commission, and whether the questionnaire proposed by the Commission should be adopted by the Council of the League as a basis for the annual reports on " B " and " C " mandated territories. The Governments represented on the committee found themselves in complete agreement on these matters, and, at the instance of the committee, the Conference approved the terms of a Note which the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of His Majesty's Government in Great. Britain, proposed to send to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations. The report of the committee and the Note sent by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the Secretary-General of the League have been published."]" X. CONDOMINIUM IN THE NEW HEBRIDES. The further developments in the New Hebrides since the Imperial Conference of 1923 were examined by representatives of His Majesty's Government in Great Britain in consultation with the Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand, and agreement reached on the policy to be followed.

* See Appendix 111. f See Appendix VI.

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