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A supplementary agenda item proposed by the five Arab States (Egypt, Iraq, Syria, the Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia) was in the following terms : " The termination of the mandate over Palestine and the declaration of its independence." At the first plenary meeting, after the election of the Credentials Committee, the. Assembly elected as its President for the Session Dr Oswaldo Aranha, of Brazil. The next item was the formal admission of Siam to membership of the United Nations. This was approved unanimously, increasing the number of members of the United Nations to fifty-five. The only other extraneous function of the General Assembly was the welcome to President Aleman, of Mexico. The President of the Assembly delivered an address of welcome to President Aleman, who replied suitably. The Assembly then proceeded to establish the General Committee, which according to the rules is entrusted, inter alia, with the task of examining the provisional agenda and the supplementary list and reporting to the Assembly for final approval. This Committee is composed of the President, the seven Vice-Presidents, and the Chairmen of the six main Committees. The seven Vice-Presidents, chosen by secret ballot, were the representatives of France, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Ecuador, and India ; the Chairman of the six main Committees were the representatives of Canada, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Sweden, Poland, and Honduras. Of these Committees only one (the Eirst) met for any business other than the election of its Chairman. In accordance with Rule 33 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure, the provisional agenda, containing the items proposed by the United Kingdom and by the Arab States, was referred to the General Committee for consideration and report. There, the delegate for India, Asaf Ali, immediately opened proceedings by referring to a statement made by a Government spokesman in the House of Lords upon the attitude of the Government of the United Kingdom towards any recommendation on Palestine which might be adopted by the General Assembly. Although the Indian delegate was informed by the President that his question was out of order at this stage, he continued to press the point, and the President eventually permitted Sir Alexander Cadogan, delegate of the United Kingdom, to make a brief explanation. Sir Alexander stated that he would, at the appropriate time in the Assembly itself, make a full statement of the position of the United Kingdom Government, but he referred to a remark made by Lord Hall in the House of Lords: "I cannot imagine His Majesty's Government carrying out a policy of which it does not approve." He said that this did not mean that his Government would not accept any recommendation of the Assembly, but that he could not imagine it carrying out a policy which it thought was wrong. The incident closed at this stage, but was raised