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Very marked differences of opinion developed over the total amount of the budget. The Secretariat had proposed a sum of $7,565,000, plus a further $950,000 to cover the costs of the Preparatory Commission and all other expenditure up to 1 January, 1947. It asked, in addition, for a supplementary budget of $434,000 for educational, scientific, and cultural reconstruction during the year 1947. One group of delegates, led by the United Kingdom, pressed strongly for the adoption of this budget in full, on the grounds that the programme of UNESCO could not be carried out on less for 1947, and that any reduction in the budget would be taken by the world as an indication of a lack of faith in the purposes for which the Organization stands. Another group, amongst whom were the United States and the British Dominions, were equally strongly in favour of a reduction. The second group proved to have a slight majority in the Sub-Com-mission, and a more marked one in the General Conference, and the following budget resolution proposed by the Sub-Commission was adopted after a United Kingdom amendment proposing a figure of $8,450,000 was rejected by 20 votes to 8, and a French amendment proposing a budget of $7,500,000 was rejected by 18 votes to 10: — " The General Conference hereby appropriates for the financial year 1947 the total amount of $6,950,000 for all approved activities in 1947, and for all expenses prior to 1 January, 1947, and resolves that — "(1) At the earliest possible time, the Director-General shall submit to the Executive Board for its approval a suggested programme and budget within the $6,950,000 total for 1947, it being understood that $6,000,000 of the total must be allocated to UNESCO activities, including — "(a) Educational, scientific, and cultural reconstruction, and "(b) A substantial contingent fund, at least at the beginning of the year, and an amount not exceeding $950,000 must be allocated to paying costs incurred prior to 1 January, 1947. "(2) In view of the reduced budget for 1947, the DirectorGeneral and the Executive Board shall examine very carefully all activities which may involve grants-in-aid, awards, fellowships, and professorships," In order to dispel any idea that the reduction of the Budget indicated a lack of faith in UNESCO, it would be well to state explicitly the motives that appeared to actuate the delegates voting for the lower amount. For our part we voted for a reduction on purely administrative grounds, which the leader of the delegation explained to the General Conference in speaking to the motion. We thought there was a real danger of UNESCO expanding too rapidly during its first year or two of life. The first task, in our opinion, was to evolve a satisfactory administrative mechanism, and to clarify ideas on the programme, which in many instances had been thought out