8

A.—s

Costa Rica. Information had been received in Geneva that the Republic of Costa Rica intended to withdraw from the League, and on the 22nd September the French Delegation introduced into the Assembly a resolution which was passed on the 24th September in the following terms : — " The Assembly, having learnt that the Republic of Costa Rica has expressed its intention of resigning its membership of the League, deeply regrets to note the absence of a member whose participation in the work of the Assembly has been unanimously and highly appreciated ; expresses the hope that the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica may again find it possible to afford the League its valuable co-operation." Election of Non-permanent Members of Council. One of the items on the Agenda for the closing meeting of the Assembly, held oil the afternoon of the 26th September, was the election of the non-permanent members of the Council. Before the ballot was taken the delegate for China made a moving appeal to members to recollect their unanimous approval of two days before, of his motion for the recognition of certain principles when proceeding to the election. The vote was then taken. Forty-nine States voted, with the following result: Brazil, 43 votes ; Czecho-slovakia, 35 votes ; Belgium, 32 votes ; Uruguay, 40 votes ; Sweden, 34 votes ; Spain, 31 votes. These States will therefore continue for another year to be represented on the Council. China received 26 votes, Persia 9, and the Netherlands 8. COMMITTEE No. 1. Amendment to Article 16 of the Covenant. The original text of paragraph 1 of Article 16 of the Covenant defines certain steps to be taken by members of the League in the event of a rupture with a Covenant-breaking State. Last year's Assembly voted an amendment to this paragraph, but a proposal to amend the second paragraph of the original text in the event of the amendment to the first meeting with acceptance was not proceeded with. The amendment to paragraph 2 proposed by Great Britain consists in the deletion of the words "in such case," rendered unnecessary by the redrafting of the first paragraph. A motion to delete such words was accepted by the Assembly at its meeting on the 21st September, and directions given for a protocol embodying the amendment to be drawn up. The New Zealand Government, having given me instructions to sign the protocol embodying the amendment to the first paragraph, which instructions I carried out whilst at Geneva, I assumed that the Government would wish me to sign the protocol drawn up in respect to the amendment to paragraph 2. I have done so, and if ratification is desired, doubtless arrangements will be made (see Document A. 77). Report of Special Committee of Jurists. The following proposal, introduced by the Netherlands Delegation and passed by the Assembly on the 21st September, needs no comment: — " The Assembly requests the Council to invite the Governments of States members of the League which find in the report of the Special Committee of Jurists appointed under, the resolution of the Council of 28th September, 1923, doubtful points which require elucidation or which may have other comments to make on this report, to forward their observations to the Secretariat of the League of Nations before Ist February, 1926, with a view to a possible examination of the matter by a committee to be appointed by the Council." If the New Zealand Government desires to offer any observations, doubtless a communication will be sent to the Secretariat of the League (see Document A. 73). The report referred to in the resolution will be found in Document A. 8 of 1924 (pages 8, 9, and 10). Permanent Court of International Justice. Several of the States who signed the optional clause of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice (see paragraph 2 of Article 36 of the statute) gave their adherence for a specified number of years, and, as in some cases the period will shortly terminate, the Swiss Delegation introduced into the Assembly a motion designed to renew the undertakings. This motion was referred to Committee No. 1, which brought up to the Assembly a resolution framed as follows : — " The Assembly, noting with satisfaction the fact that fifteen States have accepted up to the present the optional clause of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice concerning the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court, noting also that some of those States have assumed this obligation for a period which will shortly terminate, requests the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Nations to draw the attention of such States to the measures to be taken, if they consider it proper, in order to renew in due course their undertakings." This resolution was passed by the Assembly on the 22nd September (see Document A. 76). Proposed Establishment of a Conciliation Commission. It was the Danish Government which suggested that the Assembly should consider the establishment of a Conciliation Commission attached to the Permanent Court of International Justice, in the hope that disputes between States might be referred to such Commission without recourse to the Court itself. The suggestion was examined at considerable length by the First Committee, and after taking account of all points of view it was decided that the question should be adjourned to a subsequent session. This proposal was accepted by the Danish Delegation, and a resolution to this effect was passed by the Assembly at its meeting oil the 22nd September.