A.—s.

Here were two major issues, the gravity of which it was impossible to overestimate, and possessing elements capable of affecting a great part of the world. Prior to the delivery of his opening speech, M. Negrin had proposed the membership of the Credentials Committee. His recommendations having been accepted, the Committee met, and, shortly after M. Negrin's speech was concluded, its Chairman read the report on the credentials of the delegates. Most of the credentials were found to be in order. This year saw the adoption of a new procedure in connection with the appointment of officers of the Assembly. Some delegates had grown tired of the rather haphazard way in which nominations had been made, and last Assembly determined to try a new experiment. On reference to my report on the Seventeenth Assembly you will find mention of a new Committee—the Nominations Committee. This Committee of eleven members was set up and requested to report in time for the afternoon meeting. At the next meeting M. Hambro (Norway), who had been elected Chairman of the Nominations Committee, was invited to mount the platform. He announced that his Committee, had unanimously agreed to propose as Chairman of the Assembly His Highness the Aga Khan, who had for several years led the Indian delegation. As procedure required that the Chairman be elected by secret ballot, delegates were invited to register their votes, but that this was a merely formal proceeding was shown by the result. Fifty votes were cast, and forty-nine were in favour of the Aga Khan, who was unanimously elected. The remaining vote was found to be blank. The Assembly Committees were then constituted. They number six ; the Third Committee, which deals with disa mament questions, was not called into being, but there were signs of proposals that it should be constituted at a later date. Indeed, at the meeting on the 15th September, the President recommended that the Third Committee be constituted, and his recommendation was accepted. The delegate of Hungary made a statement to the effect that his delegation would abstain from taking part in the work of the Committee, since the principle of equality of rights in respect of armaments was still unrealized. The following table shows how the President distributed the items of the Agenda amongst the Committees : — Committee No. 1. —Constitutional and Juridical Questions — Item 4 : Rules of Procedure of the Assembly ; Maintenance of the Rule Relating to the Convocation of the Finance (Fourth) Committee of the Assembly. Item 13 : Status of Women. Committee No. 2.—Technical Questions — Item 7 : Nutrition. Item 8 : Raw Materials. Item 9 : Emigration. Item 10 : Urban and Rural Housing. Item 15 : Economic and Financial Work. Item 16 : Communications and Transit. Item 17 : Health Work. Committee No. 4. —Organization of the Secretariat and the Finances of the League— Item 5 (a) : Supervisory Commission. Item 5 (b) : Administrative Board of the Staff Pensions Fund. Item 14 (a) : Audited Accounts for the Eighteenth Financial Period (1936), and Auditor's Report thereon. Item 14 (b) : Budget of the League of Nations for the Twentieth Financial Period (1938). Item 14 (c) : Report of the Supervisory Commission. Item 14 (d) : Contributions to the League ; Report of the Special Committee on Contributions. Item 14 (e) : Amendments to Article I of the Financial Regulations (Composition of the Supervisory Commission) ; Report of the Committee set up by the Assembly in 1936. Item 14 (/) : Report of the Administrative Board of the Staff Pensions Fund. Committee No. 5. —Humanitarian and Social Questions — Item 18 : Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs. Item 19 : Social Work. Committee No. 6. —Political Questions— Item 6 (a) : The League of Nations, and Moder.i Means of Spreading Information utilized in the Cause of Peace. Item 6 (b) : Report of the Secretary-General. Item 11 (a) : Refugees —Report of the Nansen International Office for Refugees. Item 11 (b) : International Assistance to Refugees. Item 20 : Intellectual Co-operation. Two items were for the moment reserved—i.e., No. 5 (c), Commission of Inquiry for European Union, and No. 12, Application of the Principles of the Covenant of the League of Nations and Problems connected therewith. On the remaining item, No. 3, Election of Non-Permanent Members of the Council, it was for the Assembly to take action at a later date. In the course of the early proceedings of the Assembly further items were, added to the agenda, such as " Mandates," the " International Relief Union," and the " Reports of the Committee of Twenty-eight dealing with the Application of the Principles of the Covenant." Some of these subjects will be included in the account given in this report of the work of the Committees.

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