A.—s.

by the Governments of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Paraguay. Article 1, paragraph 3, of the Covenant provides that a member of the League may withdraw after two years' notice provided that all its obligations both international and under the Covenant shall have been fulfilled at the time of its withdrawal. The First Committee was asked to consider the problem raised in this connection by the non-payment of contributions. The question of Salvador was not included in the list of States, seeing that it had given an undertaking to liquidate its obligations. In my report on the Seventeenth Assembly I wrote, when dealing with, the allocation of expenses and the new scale which, was adopted by that Assembly,— " While in the opinion of the Allocation Committee the new scale has elements of permanence, the question is by no means settled, and there is little doubt that it will have to receive further serious consideration in a few years' time." Last year I did not think it possible that the question would be raised until 1938 at the earliest, but it was mentioned by the delegate of Mexico, who was supported by other delegates, and it was even suggested that the Special Committee on Allocation of Expenses should be resurrected. This was resisted, and the Mexican delegate invited to state his views in the form of a motion. He was content to supply the following formula, which was accepted by the Committee and approved by the Assembly : — Considering that the present scale for the allocation of expenses will cease to be in force on 31st December, 1939 ; " Considering that in these circumstances the next Assembly should reconstitute a body to consider the question anew in 1939 ; " Considering that it would be desirable to begin the preliminary consultations forthwith; " The Assembly— " Having been informed that the principal data hitherto taken into account comprise the population, production, trade and banks, transport, and budgets of States ; " Requests the Secretary-General to ask the Governments to communicate to him any suggestions calculated to help the 1938 Assembly and such body as that Assembly may set up to determine the future scale." FIFTH COMMITTEE : HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL QUESTIONS. New Zealand Delegate: Mr. W. J. Jordan. Substitute: Miss J. R. McKenzie. Social Questions. As mentioned in my report on the 1936 Assembly, the former Advisory Commission for the Protection and Welfare of Children and Young People, which was divided into two Committees—the Traffic in Women and Children Committee and the Child Welfare Committee—has been reorganized, and in substitution a new Advisory Committee on Social Questions has been set up. The Committee's terms of reference are the same as those of the former Advisory Commission. As a result of the reconstitution, the question of the organization of its future work was considered by the Advisory Committee, who decided to take up as one of its first subjects for study the principles adopted in the administration and organization of welfare work among the young, including social assistance, showing the part played by public authorities and by voluntary organizations respectively. There has been an increase in the number of Governments represented on the Advisory Committee, and collaboration with international associations has also been placed on a new basis. Another subject to which the Advisory Committee decided to give priority is the training of persons engaged in social work. During the discussions in the Fifth Committee several further suggestions were made, including the proposal that the study of family desertion should be proceeded with. Publicity. Much discussion centred on the proposed issue of a bulletin or review, which would enable those interested to follow the progress of social-welfare work. The Fifth Committee was in general agreement that such a review would serve a useful purpose, and several delegates urged that in addition to its being printed in the two official languages —English and French —it should be published in other languages. Representatives of South American countries in particular laid great stress on the desirability of publication in Spanish. The Fifth Committee recommended that a review, the title of which might be " The League of Nations Review of Social Questions," should be issued quarterly, and this suggestion the Assembly adopted. Liaison with other Bodies. The need for maintaining close liaison between the Advisory Committee and other organs of the League was strongly emphasized during the discussion in the Fifth Committee, especially in connection with the Bureau of the Health Organization, which was at present preparing a European Conference on Rural Life, as it was fully realized that the problems of hygiene, social welfare, and economics in rural life are interdependent. Child Welfare. The Fifth Committee noted with satisfaction the work undertaken by the Advisory Committee in regard to child welfare, following on the inquiries by the former Child Welfare Committee into the organization and functioning of juvenile Courts, institutions for neglected and delinquent children, child welfare councils, &c., reports on which have been published. The Committee agreed that a separate inquiry into the subject of the organization and functioning of institutions performing duties which in other countries are entrusted to juvenile Courts should not be undertaken at present, but that the Advisory Committee should include it later in its programme.

3—A. 5.

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