A: 2.

No. 15. New Zealand, Dominions No. 175. Sir, — Downing Street, 18th March, 1927. With reference to Your Excellency's telegram of the 6th March, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, a copy of the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the meeting of the Council of the League of Nations, held on the Bth March, regarding the form of treaties to be negotiated in future under the auspices of the Leage of Nations. I have, &c., L. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Fergusson, Bart., LL.I)., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.Y.0., &c.

Enclosure. LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Geneva, Bth March, 1927. Form of Treaties to be negotiated in Future under the Auspices of the League of Nations. Declaration btj Sir Austen Chamberlain. As 1 understand that a conference under the auspices of the League may assemble in Geneva in July next, I think it may be convenient to my colleagues to know that at the meeting of the Imperial Conference in London last autumn it was found that for constitutional reasons, with which I need not trouble the Council, the acceptance by the Governments of the British Empire of treaties negotiated under the auspices of the League would be facilitated if a change could be made in the form in which such instruments are drawn up. It has been the practice for League treaties to be made in the form of treaties between States. The common practice before the Treaty of Versailles was for treaties or conventions to be made in the form of an agreement between the Heads of States. The Governments of the British Empire hope that instead of continuing the novel form adopted for the first time in the Treaty of Versailles, future treaties concluded under the auspices of the League may be made to conform to the general practice followed in the case of other treaties, and may be expressed as an agreement between Heads of States. I should add that I make this statement at the express desire of all the Governments represented at the Imperial Conference. I desire to repeat that we suggest this reversion to the older form because our discussions showed that it will facilitate acceptance of such treaties by the Governments of the British Empire, and thus help forward the work of the League.

No. 16. New Zealand, No. 59. Sir, — Downing Street, 19th March, 1927. With further reference to Your Excellency's despatch, No. 124, of the 21st June, 1926, concerning the question of a reduction in the Consular fees charged by the Chilean Government in respect of stud sheep sent from New Zealand to Chile, I have the honour to transmit to you, to be laid before your Ministers, a copy of a note received by His Majesty's Representative at Santiago from the Chilean Government on the subject. I have, &c., L. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Fergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

13