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practicable, and a Commission on Korea (rather smaller than the Temporary Commission) is charged with continuing good offices to bring about unification of the country. Discussions have now begun on withdrawal of United States troops from Korea. The major non-communist countries have now recognized the southern Government, but its application for United Nations membership has so far been unsuccessful. East European countries have recognized the northern regime, which has so far made no response to repeated overtures from the Commission. 7. Indonesia Owing to the rapid deterioration in the Indonesian situation in December, 1948, the Department has become increasingly concerned with this problem, which has been before the Security Council since 31 July, 1947. In the earlier part of the year negotiations were carried on between the Netherlands and the Republican Governments under the auspices of the United Nations Committee of Good Offices, as provided for in the " Renville" Agreement of 17 January, 1948. Gradually these talks came to a standstill, largely because of fundamental disagreement over the control of armed forces, until on 19 December the Netherlands commenced military operations against the Republic, rapidly overran the main towns, and arrested its leaders. The Good Offices Committee reported violation of the Truce Agreement, and the Security Council called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of political prisoners. The Acting Prime Minister expressed the regret felt in New Zealand over these developments, stressed the importance of compliance with United Nations authority, and issued a reminder that the dispute affected all members of the United Nations and particularly member States in the Pacific. The situation caused particular concern in Asia, and, expressing his desire to strengthen the hand of the Security Council, Pandit Nehru called a conference in New Delhi of Far and Middle East countries, to which Australia and New Zealand were also invited. To this conference, held between 20 and 23 January, 1949, New Zealand sent as observer Mr R. J. Inglis, New Zealand Trade Representative in Bombay. The conference passed three resolutions, of which the first recommended to the Security Council the immediate return of the Republican capital to the Republic, the progressive withdrawal of Netherlands troops from Republican territory, and a United Nations procedure for transference of power to the proposed United States of Indonesia. The second resolution called for continued consultation on Indonesia among the countries represented, and the third (considered more fully in the following section) raised the possibility of co-operation on a wider range of subjects.