A.—sb.

dispute. The Council appointed a statesman, who is rapidly acquiring an international reputation, to act on its behalf in an effort to bring the parties together. Neither he nor his country had any interest in the dispute other than a whole-hearted desire to see the question settled. Impatient as some of us are of methods of procrastination, of procedure which clogs the wheels, yet we have to confess that the League has provided the machinery for negotiations in a quiet atmosphere and with the help which an international civil service can provide. And if the League has often failed in the past, as undoubtedly it has failed, probably it still has to its credit success in sufficient measure to warrant those countries who have made it the corner stone of their foreign policy continuing to give it full support. It is known that in the course of negotiations Mr. Eden was called into consultation, and that his help was of value can be gauged by the happy references to him which were made by the representatives of the parties at the Council table. It is the opinion of many qualified to express one that without the League this unhappy dispute might have led to grave consequences and international repercussions. The terms of the settlement are contained in the second section of the report. Briefly they are as follows :— " The Sanjak is to enjoy independence in the administration of its internal affairs subject to the condition that it shall have one customs and monetary administration with Syria. Syria, however, is to be responsible for the conduct of the foreign affairs of the Sanjak. Turkish is to be the official language of the Sanjak, but it is for the Council of the League of Nations to determine the character and conditions of the employment of another tongue. No international agreement or decision affecting the independence and security of Syria may be applied to the Sanjak without the consent of the Council of the League. There are provisions for the establishment of a liaison between the executive authorities and the legislative assemblies of Syria and the Sanjak. Provision is made for the exercise by the Council of the League, through an officer appointed by it, of supervision to ensure respect for the laws of the Sanjak. The Sanjak may not possess an army nor introduce compulsory military training, nor may military works be constructed. Turkey and Prance are to guarantee the territorial integrity of the Sanjak under a treaty to be negotiated by the two powers ; and an agreement is to be concluded between Prance, Turkey, and Syria with a view to guaranteeing the inviolability of the Turkish-Syrian frontier. Turkey is to enjoy certain rights and facilities in the port of Alexandretta in connection with her transit trade. The report contains points to be considered in the drafting of the Statute of the Sanjak and its Fundamental Law, and the Rapjiorteur suggested to the Council the appointment of specialists (not more than six persons) to study these points and other matters connected with the settlement. Further, the Rapporteur recommended that the powers of the observers sent to the Sanjak in December should be renewed for a limited period. Finally, it should be observed that the new regime is to come into operation as soon as possible, and that on- France as the mandatory power will fall the responsibility of bringing it into operation." For the short but interesting debate which followed the introduction of the report I refer you to the minutes. The report was unanimously adopted by the Council. Report of the Health Mission in Spain. I have already referred to the report of the Medical Mission sent to Spain, but it did not come before the Council until the end of the session. After the Council, at its ninety-fifth session, had dealt with the Spanish Government's request that it examine the situation in Spain in the light of Article XI of the Covenant, it passed the resolution which is quoted in full 111 my report on the ninety-fifth session. Part IV of the resolution reads " Notes that there are problems of a humanitarian character in connection with the present situation, in regard to which co-ordinated action of an international and humanitarian character is desirable as soon as possible. " Recognizes, further, that for the reconstruction which Spain may have to undertake international assistance may also be desirable. " And authorizes the Secretary-General to make available the assistance of the technical services of the League of Nations should a suitable opportunity occur." On the 15th December the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Secretary-General of the League suggesting that a competent delegation from the health organization of the League be sent to Spain to report on the health situation. Accordingly a delegation of three in the persons of Doctors Lasnet, Laigret, and Wroczynski was appointed and left for Valencia, which was reached on the 29th December. On the 18th January the mission made its report, which was issued to the members of the League as Document C. 45. The duration of the visit of the mission to Spain was some fifteen days, and although, as the report states, the time at its disposal was not sufficiently long to enable an exhaustive investigation to be made, yet it was enabled to gain a sufficiently clear idea of the situation in the matter of health and of the effect that the movement of refugees might have upon health in the provinces remaining under the authority of the legitimate Government. A perusal of the report gives rise to a feeling of satisfaction that the record of the Spanish Government in health administration should stand out so well. The civil war has raged for many months, yet the health of the population of the provinces subject to the legitimate Government is satisfactory ; there is an absence of epidemics even in the City of Madrid, whose inhabitants number some one and a quarter millions j and the movements of population caused by the distribution of

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