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allowed a Japanese expedition—larger than that of 1946—t0 proceed. For the 1948-49 season SCAP has planned an even larger expedition. The New Zealand Government have not on this occasion deemed it useful to oppose all Japanese participation in Antarctic whaling, but have made known their view that the proposed expansion of the Japanese whaling fleet is unjustified both on economic and security grounds. (b) New Zealand Government Trade Representative in Japan In May, 1947, a New Zealand Government Trade Representative was accredited to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and stationed in Tokyo. Normal trade relations through private channels have not yet been established with Japan, and arrangements for supply and payment have involved governmental negotiations through the trade representative, who was also able to arrange facilities for a number of New Zealand businessmen who visited Japan during the year. The trade representative has also dealt with reparations and restitution work in Japan and with the restoration of New Zealand property in Japan. Through this officer it has been possible to obtain more information upon Japan and to arrange a useful flow of publicity and scientific material. 6. Korea Korea, one of the key strategic areas of the Far East, will form part of the peace settlement with Japan; events in that country are therefore of some interest to New Zealand, and the Department, though hampered by lack of reliable information, has interested itself in them. The reference of the problem of the independence of Korea to the United Nations raised new issues which called for policy decisions. In the Cairo and Potsdam Agreements the Great Powers declared that after liberation from nearly forty years of Japanese rule Korea should in due course become free and independent. At Moscow, in December, 1945, they agreed to establish a joint United States - Soviet Union Commission to consult with the Koreans and decide on methods for the establishment of a provisional Government, which for a period of up to five years would be subject to a Four Power trusteeship by the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and China. The Joint Commission, however, after two years of negotiation, failed to reach agreement, and Korea, torn by political dissension and no nearer to independence, remained artificially and ruinously divided into two zones with little interchange of goods and services. The United States Government, considering that further negotiation with the Soviet Union would be useless, proposed