A. —5.

Assistance to Indigent Foreigners. The question of assistance to indigent foreigners was_ first brought up m the' Committee in the limited form of assistance to indigent foreign minors After a careful studyof t Question over several years the Committee came to the conclusion that such assistance could not Satisfactorily be dealt with without taking into account the position ol the families to wh • minors belonged. In a subject bristling as this is with difficulties, progress has been slow. Committee of Experts comprising representatives of twelve countries, including the Lnited Kingdom, the Untted States^of America, Japan, and Italy, and assisted by two pnvate mtemataonal organizations prepared in 1933 a draft convention stipulating m general that each of the contract g parties should «rant indigent nationals of the other contracting parties residing m its territory, and needing material or moral assistance, the same treatment as it grants its own nationals Wit draft Convention the Committee also submitted recommendations to Governments m 1934 the underlying principle of which was that States should aim at placing foreigners, as far as possible, on the same footing as nationals in the sphere of assistance to indigent persons and should safeguard the unity of the family, which should serve as a basis m applying measures of assistance. While the majority of the Governments favoured in principle the drawing-up of a multilateral +" nn the lines recommended by the Committee, a large number of amendments to the convention on the studying the se suggestions, as well as the cognate subject of maintenance draft were sugg«*ed the Council in May, 1936, framed and despatched obligations a^ ' id tion ' a second draft multilateral Convention which represents a compromisTamong the various tendencies disclosed by the communications of the different Governments. So far, only five of the States have replied. The Fifth Committee considered that at the present time it would be P ° summoning a diplomatic conference to conclude a multilateral convention for assistance, tomdige foreigners, and after discussion decided to submit to the Assembly the following resolution . Th " work of the Committee of Experts on assistance to indigent foreigners and the execution of maintenance obligations abroad, at its second session m January, 1936 . Thanks the Committee for Its eSorts to improve the position of indigent foreigners by framing a second draft multilateral Convention on the basis of the observations of tQ gend the g ecre tary-General, in conformity with his Circular Letter 118, 1936, IV, dated 13th July, 1936, their observations on this second draft Convention * " to take cognizant Of th», ob.err.tion» and^ to decide whether or not it will be desirable to convene the Committee of Experts to study and report on the observations communicated by Governments and to take any other or further action which may seem, appropriate.' Penal and Penitentiary Questions. t -ii u ™ TviKot-orl flint in order to ensure an improvement in the penitentiary system, the A \J 1 reouested Governments in 1934 to communicate to the League of Nations, if P° ssib l e annually, Assembly e qua l lfie d associations, the experience obtained and any other «»™a, 1934 Assembly, o, the reforms in general brought .boot in penitentiary inatterfe. it the of Governments, including that of New Zealand, The Fifth Comnu witll repo rts from a number of special organizations such as (to mJ'mnolV'™) the Intern,tion.l Pen.l sod Penitentiary Commission ami League for Penal Reform. These replies and reports are reproduced in Document A. 25, Perhaps the most important state,— SISS toabolish :«v?"el™nl"°.nd IT. Bill to this effect would be submitted to it. Parliament during th, SnSSon! g"™ eSmples of types of recent legislation ,» Great Britain which had tended to reduce the number of persons committed to prison. , , , v f 1 attpntion was drawn to the importance of proposals aiming at reducing the number of • todScSn of measures such as the suspension of penalties, conditional release, the St to pay fines in instalments, the reduction of the maximum terms of imprisonment, &c^ 1 i •r + "u_ \\uc1 to the good offices of tlie International Penal and It was thought that «"""«J» . i]lto tU numW 0 f prisoners over eighteen year, of SSS in r«e,,nt countries at the "'cSiSLt SRMm - a report to the Secretary-General of the League before Ist July next.

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