A.—s

6

to refer the proposals for new work to the Health Organization for consideration on the assumption that they would not involve any expenditure supplementary to the estimates already submitted for 1926. It was stated in committee that the officers of the organization had reason to believe that there would not be a call for more money, and there for the time being the question must be allowed to rest. The report to the Assembly is Document A. 79, and the resolutions with which it concludes were passed on the 21st September. See also pages. 86 and 87 of Document A. 7 for an account of the way in which the Health Organization has endeavoured to comply with the Fifth Assembly's resolution, that the Health Report should have attached to it the comments of the Office International d Hygiene Publique in its capacity as Advisory Health Council. Communications and Transit. The report of the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit on the work of the Organization for Communications and Transit between the Fifth and Sixth Assemblies will be found in Document A. 7, and a supplementary report appears in A. 7a. These documents, together with that numbered A. 42, were before the Second Committee. The work is of general interest, though very largely concerned with Europe, and it is one of the functions imposed on the League by Article 23 of the Covenant. There was a desire, almost general in the committee, to pass a strong resolution designed to secure the complete abolition of passports, but, in deference to the representations of a few States, the resolution was modified to express the hope that the Passport Conference to be held in 1926 would at least take a step towards the abolition, in the widest possible scale, of the passport system. Further documents are A. 81, the report to the Assembly, and containing the resolutions passed by that body on the 21st September, and reports on the navigation of the Rhine and the Danube, numbered respectively C. 414 and C. 444 a. The Rapporteur, in introducing his report to the Assembly, referred to the centenary of the opening of the first railway in England, which was celebrated this year. He gave expression to the view that it was not Great Britain alone that owed so much to George Stephenson, but the whole world, and he took the occasion to express thanks to Great Britain for the hospitality afforded to the delegates from the various countries which assembled in London during the summer of this year for the Railway Conference. Financial and Economic Organizations. Financial Committee. In addition to the work involved in the financial reconstruction of Austria and Hungary the Financial Committee undertakes other work which falls within the competence of the League. It is interested in the expenditure of the loan of ten million pounds raised for the purpose of settling Greek refugees, which work is in the hands of a special Commission. At the request of the Esthonian Government it has inquired into certain aspects of the financial problems of that country, and has given advice thereon. Amongst other matters which have received its attention I desire to single out for special mention the inquiry made under its auspices by a small body of experts into double taxation and tax-evasion, the report of which (Document F. 212) accompanies this report, although I understand copies have already been sent to New Zealand. I recommend a close study of this report, the outcome of work undertaken in accordance with a resolution of the Brussels Finance Conference of 1920. The conclusions reached by the committee have justified the Council calling together a conference of experts to make a wider study of the problem, and certain States have been invited to send representatives. The meeting will, in all probability, take place next year. An account of the Financial Committee's activities for the period under review will be found in Documents A. 7 and A. 67, whilst the committee's report to the Assembly, including the resolutions passed on the 22nd September, will be found in Document A. 84. The Financial Committee, which is one of the oldest organizations of the League, has performed some sound work, and it is not surprising that its help should be sought by Governments in elucidating financial problems. Economic Committee. The Second Committee's report to the Assembly is Document A. 92, and the Assembly passed the resolutions submitted to it by the Second Committee on the 24th September. Other relative documents are A. 7, A. 7a, and A. 46. The Economic Committee is pursuing its inquiries into the possibility of suppressing import and export prohibitions and restrictions in accordance with a resolution of last year's Assembly, and is continuing its examination on other questions which have engaged its attention in preceding years. lam awaiting an indication of the Government's attitude towards the Protocol on Commercial Arbitration which was opened for signature in 1923. Committee on Intellectual Co-operation. This committee has become a permanent organization of the League. In my report on the Fifth Assembly I dealt at length with the rapid development of this organization, culminating last year in the offer by the French Government of a permanent institution in Paris and an annual subsidy of one million francs, which offer was accepted by the Fifth Assembly on conditions designed to safeguard the international nature of the Institute. A building in Paris has been provided, and the Institute will begin to function on the Ist November. Documents A. 7 and A. 7a furnish information ; Document A. 24 is the report of the Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, and gives particulars of staff appointments; and Document C. 432 contains the internal regulations and the staff regulations of the International Institute for Intellectual Co-operation. It will be noted that