A.—sd.

members regarding their obligations under the Covenant, the Government of Ecuador would not have consented to its representative voting in favour of a resolution under which the League, delegated its powers to a few States. The representative of Poland indicated that he would abstain from voting as he could not associate himself with a resolution which gave in advance the support of the League to any action undertaken outside the League, whether by one or several States. The representative of Peru also announced that he would abstain from voting, since too little time had been allowed for a proper consideration of a draft which was prepared by certain members of the Council without the remaining members taking part in its preparation. Speeches from the representatives of Great Britain, France, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the powers " for whom the situation is of special interest, " disclaimed any desire to act in an unconstitutional manner. Their aim had merely been to facilitate the work of the Council. Mr. Wellington Koo also spoke a few conciliatory words. There is no need to pursue the matter. Disappointed as all well-wishers of the League must be, no one with the experience of the League's handling of the Chinese appeal last year and of the Brussels Conference could reasonably have expected much morp. As to the criticism of the manner in which this item of the Council's Agenda was brought before that body, while in theory it may be sound, there is little doubt that the method adopted made for economy of time and speech. We must face realities : use the instrument that we possess, and to the extent that conditions make possible, hoping that the day is not far distant when the Covenant will become a reality. As to the resolution itself, I would like to draw your attention to the remarks I made at a private meeting of the Council when the procedure to be adopted at the public meeting was under discussion. I spoke as follows " I see no particular reason to mention who drafted the resolution. What does it matter who drafted it ? The point is not who makes any given proposal, but what it is that is proposed. " Of the present proposal, the first five paragraphs are hardly matter for discussion. They call ' the most serious attention of the members of the League to the terms of the above-mentioned resolution.' If the members of the League have forgotten what happened on October 6th, 1937, it reminds them. If they have not forgotten it, so much the better. " The last part of the resolution comes to the point, but in non-committal terms. It expresses the confidence of the Council that certain States will do certain things. It does not say, they will do them ; it says the Council is confident they will do them. It says they ' will lose no opportunity of examining, in consultation with other similarly interested Powers, the feasibility of any further steps which may contribute to a just settlement of the conflict in the Far East.' The Japanese representative, if he were here, could agree to that. The point is, what we mean by ' a just settlement of the conflict in the Far East' ; and thai is where we part company. The resolution, in short, is a carefully-drawn document upon which we can hang anything, so that it seems there is no need for a long discussion on it. I am impressed by the fact that the representative of China acquiesces in the passing of the draft. That influences me, and I see no reason at all why we should not pass it in public session and let it go out to the world. If it is publicity we want, we are all free to speak." Yours sincerely, W. J. JORDAN, High Commissioner. The Right Honourable the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given; printing (472 copies), £27.

Authority: E. V., Paul, Government Printer. Wellington—l93B.

Price 9d.

23