A.-5

47

To a very considerable extent the work of this committee consisted of merely noting the contents of the reports eif the various technical eirganizations regarding the work accomplished during the preceding year, and the programme proposed for the ensuing year. Financial Reconstruction of Austria.— The committee had the advantage of receiving from Dr. Zimmerman, the Commissioner-General appointed by the League to supervise the execution of the whole scheme;, an account of the progress made. There then remained little further to be done than to approve the resolutions moved by M. Ador, which will bo found at the end of Document A. 62. I have also attaehe;el to that document a supplement of the League of Nations Journal of the Bth September, containing reports of the speeches of M. Ador and Dr. Zimmerman before the committee. Health Organization. —With regard to this subject, the; principal work of .the committee was to decide upon the adoption of the proposal put forward by the: mixed committee representing the Health Committee of the: League and the Office International d'Hygieme Fublique. This proposal (particulars of which will be found in Document A. 28) had for its object the elimination of the possibility of duplication of work by the two organizations. As stateei in my reports on the Second and Third Assemblies, when the; plan for the Health Organization of the League was originally being considered it was thought that- it would be; possible to absorb the Office International in the Health Organization eif the: League, but this proved to bo impracticable, principally because: the United States eif America, which is represented on the: governing body of tho Office International, strongly objected to the: proposal. Tho arrangement put before No. 2 Committee this year appears to represent a, ve;ry satisfactory compromise, and, although at first considerable opposition to the proposal was manifested in the committee, this disappeared upon the true nature of the scheme becoming understood. By the adoption eif the: plan put forwarel by the mixed committee it has now become possible tei replace the: Temporary Health. Committee of the League by a stable organization on the lines of the organizations previously set up in regard to economic anel financial matters and communications and transit questions. Baron Adatei's report to the Assembly on behalf of No. 2 Committee with regarel to health matters (Document A. 74) gives an admirable .summary of the work accomplished by the; League: in this elirection during the preceding year. Fulle:r details regarding recent activities of the League in respect to matters of health will be found in a document numbered " 8," issued by the Ministry of Health for Great Britian, which I also attach. This elocument was not before the Assembly or committee, but I think it may be of interest to the Public Health authorities in New Zealand. One point I may perhaps specially refer to is the fact that the Rockefeller Founelation. makes a very considerable contribution towards the cost of the work of the Health Organization in regarel to sue;h matters as the: collection of epidemiological intelligence: and interchange eif public-health personnel. The amount likely to be: available from this seiurce towards the carrying-out of the 1924 programme is no less than 481,326 golel francs. Epidemics.' —It was gratifying to find from the report of the Epidemics Commission (Document C. 590/1923, Annex) that tho steps taken to prevent the spread of epidemic diseases from Russia have been very successful, and that the situation generally in Europe in regard to epidemics has greatly improved and now gives no cause for undue anxiety, although much still remains to be accomplished before tho epidemics in various countries are finally stamped out. A proposal to establish a special emergency fund to ensure that money would be available to enable prompt action to be taken in the event of a sudden epidemic outbreak was withdrawn, on the understating that the Council could, if necessary, vote money for such a- purpose out of the sum provided in the Budget for unforeseen expeneliture. Subsequently, in No. 4 Committee, however, a doubt was raised as to whether the Council could authorize the use of this vote for such a purpose. Work of the Economic and Financial Commission. —The documents dealing with this subject (A. 11, A. 12, A. 58, and A. 83) are attached, and cover the ground so fully that there is little neeel for me to comment on them. They are well worth perusal, as they indicate the lines along which the various economic and. financial problems are being stuelied. In regard to several questions of importance the Commission has performed useful work of a very definite character. The financial reconstruction of Austria has already been referred to. The Commission will, in all probability, bo called upon almost immediately to undertake similar work with regard to Hungary. Arrangements in this connection are' practically complete. It is also responsible for the arrangements with regard to the: loan to be floated by Greece for the permanent settlement of refugees, referred to in the: first part of this report, and it has also responded to requests made by Albania and the free City of Danzig for assistance in their endeavour to put their finances in a satisfactory condition. Sir Henry Strakosch (South Africa) brought before the committee a proposal that in its report to the Assembly elefinite reference should be made to the urgent necessity for settlement of the reparations problem, with the suggestion that the League might be able to render valuable aid in that direction. This, however, was opposed by the French Delegation, and Sir Henry eventually withdrew his suggestion, which hael been strongly supported by several other delegates. One; may hope, however, that the success of the work accomplished in Austria may cause the nations most concerned in the: settlement of the reparations problem to seriously consider whether it might not be possible to utilize this branch of the League organization as a medium for solving this great question, which has for so long retarded the recovery of Europe: in particular, and the world in general, from the effects of the war. I may perhaps mention that Sir Arthur Salter* the Director of the Financial Section of the Secretariat of the League, has for some months past been making a special study eif the reparations problem, with a view to being ready for such an eventuality. The work of investigation of such general problems as Customs formalities, elouble taxation, anel unfair competition is proceeding, anel there is reason to hope that useful results may be: obtained, although, as I have saiel in previous reports, a certain amount of the work of this organization will probably prove to have gone beyond what is capable of being applied practically at present. Owing to the necessity for economy, the Economic Financial Conference, which was to have been held in 1924, has been postponed until 1925.