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useful purpose. An experiment, noble in conception, and which in its early stages promised so well, was thus brought to an end. It was not the time for recriminations or even for an examination of the causes which led to decay. It may be, as some maintain, that the provisions of the Covenant were inadequate to enforce peace; but it is certainly true to say" that the Covenant was never given a fair trial, for when the time came to apply its provisions, most members of the League—and among them the most powerful —hesitated ; and hesitation played into the hands of aggression. The experiment failed, but the experience gained during the life of the League should be of inestimable benefit in the future. Already that experience has been an influence in the task of framing the Charter of the United Nations on which rests the hopes of mankind for the maintenance of peace. 8 May 1946 C. A. Knowles G. R. Laking Appendix A TEXT OF STATEMENT RELATING TO THE MANDATED TERRITORY OF WESTERN SAMOA MADE BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY ON BEHALF OF NEW ZEALAND New Zealand has always strongly supported the establishment of the International Trusteeship system, and has already declared its willingness to place the Mandated Territory of Western Samoa under Trusteeship. In the General Assembly of the United Nations on 18 January 1946, the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Peter Fraser, made a declaration on behalf of the Government that New Zealand was prepared to place under Trusteeship the country known as Western Samoa, for which a Mandate was conferred by the League of Nations in 1920 upon His Britannic Majesty, to be exercised on his behalf by the Government of the Dominion of New Zealand. Mr. Fraser added that in due course his Government would submit for the approval of the United Nations, in accordance with Article 79 of the Charter, a Trusteeship Agreement in respect of that territory. New Zealand does not consider that the dissolution of the League of Nations, and, as a consequence, of the Permanent Mandates Commission, will have the effect of diminishing her obligations to the inhabitants of Western Samoa or of increasing her rights in the territory. Until the conclusion of our Trusteeship Agreement for Western Samoa, therefore, the territory will continue to be administered by New Zealand in accordance with the terms of the Mandate for the promotion of the wellbeing and advancement of the inhabitants.