A. —sb.

Regarding statistics of international trade in certain raw materials and foodstuffs by countries of origin, the committee recommended that its amended " Instructions," revised in the light of experience acquired, should be communicated to all participating Governments at an early date to enable these to be taken into account in preparing the data for 1937 and in collecting information for 1938. The recommendation was approved by the Council. On the subject of timber statistics, as there had not been time to receive the comments of Governments on the draft recommendations made, it was decided to adjourn the preparation of the final report. The committee reviewed the work done by its Sub-Committees on Financial Statistics and Price Statistics and decided to make a study of price and quantum indices of international trade, a report on which will be presented in due course. The report and resolution contained in Document C. 240, 1937, lla were adopted. International Assistance to Refugees. At its public meeting on the 25th May the Council adopted the report of M. Michael Hansson, President of the governing body of the Nansen International Office for Refugees, concerning the liquidation of the office, which was presented by the representative of Bolivia, acting as Rapporteur on the subject (Document C. 226, 1937, XII, and C. 241, 1937, XII). Following an exchange of views with certain of his colleagues, M. Costa du Rels had added' to the terms of the draft resolution a paragraph to the effect that the Secretary-General communicate M. Hansson's report to Governments with a view to its consideration by the Assembly, and to request those Governments for that purpose to send their observations before the opening of the Seventeenth Ordinary Session. M. Hansson suggested that it would be necessary to set up another organization to take the place of the Nansen Office when the latter ceased to exist at the end of 1938 in view of the number of problems connected with refugees. He estimated the number of refugees placed under the protection of the Nansen Office at approximately six hundred thousand. In some countries, he said, the refugees caused the Office no concern, either because they were few and had been completely assimilated or because their treatment at the hands of the authorities was as good as —in some cases even better than —that prescribed by the Convention of 28th October, 1933. However, there still remained a truly appalling number of refugees who required substantial assistance, and would continue to require it even after 1938, unless they were to die of hunger or be driven to desperate courses, making them a menace to public order. M. Litvinoff (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), in expressing his acceptance of the report, said that he desired to place on record the fact that this did not necessarily cover acceptance of M. Hansson's suggestion that another organization be set up to take the place of the Nansen Office. 'He felt that the Council should make it clear that it would not express any opinion with regard to the problems put forward by the President of the governing body of the Nansen Office. The Rapporteur pointed out in reply that in this matter the Council did not itself play any leading part. Its duty was to transmit to Governments the information with which it had been supplied, and it was for the Governments themselves to decide on what action, if any, they desired to take. M. Hansson, who was present during the discussion, stated that it was very desirable that Governments should make such observations as they thought fit and that these observations should be obtained at the earliest possible moment in order that when the 1938 Assembly was called upon to take a final decision on the subject it would have the fullest information at its disposal. The report, together with the amended resolution reading as follows, were adopted : — " The Council of the League of Nations, " Approving the proposals of its Rapporteur concerning the transmission to Governments of the report submitted by M. Michael Hansson, President of the Governing Body of the Nansen International Office for Refugees, in accordance with the decision taken by the Assembly at its Seventeenth Session, " Is gratified by the zeal with which M. Hansson has been good enough, in accordance with the Assembly's recommendarion, to furnish the Council at its present session with all the necessary data, " Requests the Secretary-General to be good enough to communicate M. Hansson's report to the Governments with a view to its consideration by the Assembly, and to request those Governments for that purpose to send their observations before the opening of the Seventeenth Ordinary Session." Council Procedure. At a private meeting of the Council held on the 27th May the President referred to an exchange of views between members of the Council which had taken place some days before regarding the appointment of a sub-committee to study certain points in connection with Council procedure. After consultation with the Secretary-General on the matter the President proposed that the committee should consist of representatives of the United Kingdom, Chile, China, France, and Poland. The proposal was adopted. International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation. The Council was called upon to appoint a member to this committee to replace the late Mme. Cecile de Tormay. The representative of France presented his report (Document C. 248, 1937, XII), in which it was recommended to the Council that Count Paul Teleki, Professor of Economic and Political Geography at Budapest University, Vice-President of the Hungarian Geographical Society,

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