A.—2

4

delegation, M. Molotov, proposed that, instead of proceeding to elect a permanent Chairman of the Conference, representatives of each of the sponsoring Powers should each preside in rotation over the Conference business. This proposal threatened to produce a deadlock, and at a meeting of British Commonwealth delegates I suggested an alternative proposal to the effect that, while the representatives of the sponsoring Powers should preside in turn over the proceedings of the Plenary Sessions, there should be a permanent Chairman of the Steering Committee, which was the working body of the Conference and responsible for its management. This proposal was placed before representatives of the sponsoring Powers by Mr. Eden and ultimately accepted. Mr. Stettinius, as the Chairman of the delegation of the host Government, presided with conspicuous ability over the Steering Committee and Executive Committee. The Steering Committee was the body which recommended to the Conference the admission of additional States. These included White Russia, Ukraine, Argentine, and Denmark. On the question of the admission of Argentine, I endeavoured to secure postponement to enable the whole matter to be fully examined and considered, and voted accordingly both in the Steering Committee and in Plenary Session. As this motion was lost, 1 abstained from voting on the question of permitting Argentine to attend, and in Steering Committee stated that I' did so in view of the fact that it was the unanimous wish of all the American Republics that Argentine should be admitted. The Executive Committee was a small working body of the Steering Committee, to whom it made its recommendations, and assisted in other ways as the Steering Committee authorized. The Executive Committee was composed of the Chairmen of the delegations of the sponsoring Governments (namely, China, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom, United States of America), and the Chairmen of the delegations of ten additional Governments (namely, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czechoslovakia, France, Iran, Mexico, Netherlands, Yugoslavia). The third important central body was the Co-ordination Committee composed of fourteen members, each representing a member of the Executive Committee. It was the responsibility of the Co-ordination Committee to prepare the final draft of the Charter after examining the drafts received from the Technical Committees, eliminating the inconsistencies between them and clarifying and improving their language. There was also an Advisory Committee of Jurists, charged with the responsibility of reviewing, from the point of view of terminology, the texts prepared by the Co-ordination Committee, and eventually the whole text. The Commissions and Technical Committees are enumerated below, together with the New Zealand representatives thereon:— COMMISSION I—GENERAL PROVISIONS Rt. Hon. P. Fraser Mr. C. A. Berendsen Committee 1/I—Preamble Purposes and Principles Delegate Mr. C. A. Berendsen Alternate Mr. J. V. Wilson Committee 1/2 —Membership, Amendments, and Secretariat Delegate Rt. Hon. P. Eraser Alternate Mr. J. V. Wilson COMMISSION II—GENERAL ASSEMBLY Rt. Hon. P. Eraser Mr. C. A. Berendsen Committee 11/ I—Structure and Procedures Mr. A. D. Mclntosi-i Mr. J. V. Wilson