A,—sa.

The representative of Iran made a very short statement viewed from the standpoint of the Arabs, and expressed the hope of his Government that the legitimate rights of the Arabs, who were Natives of Palestine, would be safeguarded. The Council adopted the report of the Rapporteur and also his suggestion that the divergence of interpretation of the mandate, so far as it concerned Jewish immigration, would be best dealt with by the Council's noting the circumstances referred to by the United Kingdom representative which had led to a temporary restriction on Jewish immigration into Palestine. Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs. The Rapporteur, the representative of Latvia, introduced his comments (Documents C. 291, 1938, XI, and addendum) on the report of the work of the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs at its twenty-third session (Document C. 237, M. 136, 1938, XI). As the work of the Advisory Committee in Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs is always reviewed by a Committee of the Assembly, I merely draw your attention to the report of the Rapporteur. The Council passed the following resolution: — " The Council takes note of the report and resolutions adopted by the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and other Dangerous Drugs at its twenty-third session and of the report concerning the preparatory work for a conference to consider the possibility of limiting and controlling the cultivation of the opium poppy and the production of raw opium and controlling other raw materials for the manufacture of opium alkaloids, and adopts the present report." Reference should be made to a long statement of Mr. Wellington Koo's on features m the situation as it exists in his country, which he described as the most directly affected and whose nationals were the most numerous victims of the drug habit. Since 1934 the Chinese Government had taken the most drastic measures to combat the drug evil and, with one exception, the principal treaty Powers had co-operated with the Chinese Government, with the result that there had been a steady improvement in the foreign settlements and concessions in China. He then proceeded to charge Japan with pursuing openly, through the Japanese armies in China, a policy of encouraging and spreading the illicit use of narcotics amongst the Chinese. He quoted a number of statistics and concluded by expressing the hope that the Council would not regard the material laid before it in connection with the drug situation in the Far East as of ordinary technical interest. Perhaps I should add that the Rapporteur, in his introductory remarks, referred in eloquent terms to the services of three men who were, until recently, members of the Advisory Committee— M. de Vasconcellos, Senator Cavazzoni, and Dr. Bruno Schulz. Economic Committee. The report of the Rapporteur, the representative of Poland, is Document C. 306, 1938, 11, B, whilst the report of the Economic Committee on its forty-eighth session is Document C. 233, M. 132, 1938, 11, B. . 1 _ , , As the work of the Economic Committee for the preceding year is normally considered by the Second Committee of the Assembly, there is no need here to do more than draw your attention to the reports mentioned above, of which the Council took note. Communications and Transit. The work of the preceding twelve months of the Committee on Communications and Transit is always discussed by a Committee of the Assembly. The report of the former Committee was before the Council, together with the report of the Rapporteur, the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Documents numbered respectively C. 266, M. 159, 1938, VIII, andC. 309, 1938, VIII). To these reports I refer you, observing at the same time that it was the Council's prerogative to convene the proposed International Conference for the Unification of Signals at Level Crossings. By decision of the Council this Conference will be called in Geneva in April, 1939, and the preliminary draft convention prepared under the direction of the Committee for Communications and Transit will be used as a basis for discussion. Participation in that Conference is open not only to all European States, but to other States which have signified, or will in the future signify, their desire to be represented. A resolution on these lines was passed by the Council, who also took note of the report. of the Committee. Technical Collaboration between the League of Nations and China. There is a Committee of the Council comprising a representative each of the United Kingdom, China, France, Iran, Roumania, and Sweden. The United States of America sends an observer, and the President of the Council acts as Chairman. The Council Committee held one meeting. The Chinese Government's suggestions as to the manner in which technical collaboration should be continued are given in Document C/China/27, whilst another Document C/China/28 contains a letter addressed by Mr. Wellington Koo to the Secretary-General concerning measures required to control floods resulting from the rupture of dykes on the Yellow River. The Council Committee gave careful consideration to all aspects, and I refer you to the report communicated to the Council on the 15th September, C. 320, 1938. The President acts as Rapporteur, and on the 17th September I reported to the Council that its Committee recommended (1) a continuation of normal technical collaboration and the maintenance of anti-epidemic work in China, and (2) that the Assembly be asked to provide not merely the normal credit of 450,000 Swiss francs voted for several years past, but additional credits so that the work of

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