A. —sb.

submitted views, the President promised to make some suggestions late in the session. At the public meeting on the 26th January the President of the Council made known his suggestions, which were (1) To refer the matter to the committee set up to study the application of the principles of the Covenant: and (2) To instruct the Secretary-General to communicate to that committee the observations received from Governments and the minutes of the Council dealing with the question. A resolution embodying the suggestions was passed (see Document A. 78). The Council's next meeting was held on the 25th January. Its public meeting was preceded by a private one at which the following subjects were dealt with. As they did not give rise to discussion a brief reference only is required. Appointments. (a) Composition of the Advisory Committee on Social Questions. —One of the recommendations of the Committee on the Constitution, Procedure, and Practice of Committees of the League of Nations was that the number of Government representatives on the new Advisory Committee on Social Questions should be increased from fifteen, which was the number of the Advisory Committee for the Protection and Welfare of Children and Young People, to twenty-five. On the motion of the Rapporteur to the Council (the representative of Chile), the Council decided to renew the membership of the fifteen countries which had previously served and to invite further representatives from Argentina, China, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland. _ It will be seen that six only of the ten new seats were filled. Further, the Council decided to invite certain international voluntary organizations to become corresponding members of the Advisory Committee. The Rapporteur's report (Document C. 60) contains some remarks on the qualifications which should be possessed by the persons selected to sit on the Advisory Committee. (b) Appointment of the Committee of Statistical Experts. —The committee consists of twelve members, including one member each representing the International Institute of Agriculture and the International Labour Office. The names of the remaining ten members will be in the report of the Rapporteur (the representative of Sweden), which, is Document C. 74, and which was approved by the Council. . (c) Fiscal Committee.—With one exception, the Council renewed the mandate of the old members, the retiring member being replaced by the Director of the Tax Administration in Peru. It will be observed from the report of the Rapporteur (the representative of Sweden), (Document C. 75), that Mr C. E. J. Dowland is again appointed a corresponding member of the committee. ' (d) Composition of the Economic Committee.—ln this case there were some replacements in the personnel of the committee. A list of the fifteen ordinary members and of the corresponding members is attached to the report of the Rapporteur (the representative of Poland), (Document C. 73), and this list received the approval of the Council. It will be noted that Dr. R. M. Campbell, my Economic Adviser, again becomes a corresponding member of the Economic Committee. The public meeting on the 25th January was somewhat protracted owing to a long debate on the report of the Health Mission which was sent to Spain, and particularly on that aspect of the refugee question which concerned the persons who had taken asylum in Embassies and Legations in Madrid. As no definite conclusions were reached at this meeting, I do not propose to deal with the Spanish question until later. The other subjects which came up for review were : Mandates. On this subject the Hon. Walter Nash, M.P., represented New Zealand on the Council. The Council had under review the minutes of, and report on, the Thirtieth Session of the Permanent Mandates Commission, which considered, amongst others, the report on the Administration of Western Samoa by New Zealand for the 'financial year ended 31st March, 1936 (see Document C. 500, M 313). The Rapporteur to the Council on the subject (the representative of Roumania) presented a report, which is Document C. 70. This was approved by the Council. The Permanent Mandates Commission's observations on Western Samoa are summarized on page 3 of the Rapporteur's reportTo the observations and to the summary thereof no exception can be taken, especially as the New Zealand Government's policy towards the inhabitants is not commented on by the Commission in its report, the new policy not having been introduced until after the close of the financial year, 31st March, 1936. During the examination of the report on the administration of the territory, the accredited representative of New Zealand gave an account of the Government's policy, and it was on the attitude of some of the members of the Commission towards that policy that Mr. Nash felt it advisable to speak in the Council. He observed that the Labour Party's criticism of the administration of Western Samoa whilst in opposition was translated into action when that party took office, and he gave a brief account of the manner in which the Government had begun its task. Unfortunately, the attitude of the Permanent Mandates Commission had been somewhat critical ; indeed, it had tended towards an opinion that the Government was working on the wrong lines. Mr. Nash then said: — , . . . " I w i s h to emphasize here that the New Zealand Government, so long as it is m any way responsible in Western Samoa, will do everything possible to ensure that the Western Sanioan people have all the freedom it is possible for them to have, and will spend New Zealand's money to ensure that they get that freedom ... A Mandate ought to be operated for the benefit of the people of the area under Mandate, but it does seem peculiar that on that particular occasion opportunity was taken to question the operations of the Government in connection with the procedure followed in working out the principles of the Mandate."

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