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in terms of desirable ends without much consideration of the means to be adopted in achieving them. For this task of hard, tight thinking, a big staff was not only unnecessary, but might even prove a hindrance. We urged that the Director-General devote his attention in the first few months to the recruiting of a small group of completely first-rate men and women for the key positions in the Secretariat. It would take time for these people to be found and start work, and over half the year would be gone before the programme in most divisions could be got properly under way. In the circumstances, we were of the opinion that a sum of $6,000,000 would be adequate for the activities of what could be at best only an incomplete year. A bigger sum might only lead to the recruitment of a large and relatively inferior staff, and a consequent " soft" growth in a programme that in our opinion needed drastic pruning rather than forcing. We were, in addition, by no means convinced that there was at any time a very close relationship between the programme passed by the Conference and the budget proposed by the Secretariat, and we could not feel that the reduction would wreck any carefully thought-out scheme. A further reason put forward by the delegate of the United States of America for a reduction in the budget was the growing strain of so many international organizations upon the finances of some of the smaller States. He expressed the fear that, if the budget were too high, some of the small and poorer States might find it impossible to become members of UNESCO. All delegates who spoke were of the opinion that, whatever cuts might be made in the budget, the item for reconstruction should not be reduced. Appointment of the Director-General The Constitution says that the Director-General " shall be nominated by the Executive Board and appointed by the General Conference for a period of six years . . ." The Executive Board took nearly a fortnight to make its nomination, and the uncertainty caused at times some little tension throughout the Conference as a whole. The delegates of many of the smaller countries regretted that questions of national prestige should play any part whatever in the selection of the Director-General, since it is by his personal qualities rather than by his nationality that he can do so much to make or mar the Organization. The Executive Board finally nominated the Secretary-General of the Preparatory Commission, Dr Julian Huxley, F.R.S., who stated in a letter to the President that he would be happy to be nominated, but must ask to be permitted to retire after two years instead of six. In the secret ballot that followed twenty-two votes were cast for Dr Huxley, three were cast against him, and there were two blank