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a way in the domestic affairs of Greece. Not until after fifteen hours of discussion did the Committee decide to determine whether it was in fact competent to vote upon the Soviet proposal and upon the four other proposals which by then had been tabled. By majorities of 40 (including New Zealand) in favour to 7 or 8 against, the Committee ruled itself incompetent to vote upon the Soviet and three related proposals. It did decide, however, by 31 (including New Zealand) to 16 with 12 abstentions that it was competent to vote upon a proposal of Ecuador, and by 40 votes (including the Soviet group) to 4 it decided to request the President of the General Assembly " to ascertain the views of the Government of Greece concerning the suspension of death sentences passed by military Courts for political reasons, as long as the Conciliation Committee is in existence." The President of the General Assembly was told by the representatives of Greece that the Greek Government's position was unaltered—namely, that • all cases of capital punishment would be referred to an Amnesty Court. Dissatisfied with this position, the Soviet Union reintroduced its draft resolution into the plenary Assembly. It was not, however, pressed to the vote after the resolution of Ecuador had been reintroduced and unanimously adopted by the Assembly. On the closing day of the Assembly, General Romulo announced that he had been informed by the Government of Greece that no executions had taken place since the promulgation of clemency regulations two months previously. This suspension of executions would, he said, help to improve relations in the Balkans. Conciliation As soon as the First Committee reached the Greek agenda item the representative of Australia, noting that the Conciliation Committee established during the Assembly's third session had reported that " an early attempt to complete its work might well be successful," and that UNSCOB had recommended that conciliation be attempted at the fourth session, proposed that another Conciliation Committee be established. Next day the First Committee decided unanimously to " appoint a Conciliation Committee consisting of the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and the Chairman and ViceChairman of the First Committee, to continue the work of the Conciliation Committee appointed at the third regular session in an endeavour to reach a pacific settlement of existing differences between Greece on the one hand and Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia .on the other, to make any necessary recommendations thereto, and to consult in its discretion with other Powers which might be able to assist." This Committee based itself upon the work of the earlier Committee, whose formula for a peaceful agreement had, according to the announcement of its President (Dr Evatt) on 19 May, 1949, received the full agreement of Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia, subject to one