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Gustave Stresemann. On the morning of the 3rd October the President of the Assembly rose on the termination of the debate on the Report on Intellectual Co-operation, and reminded those present that it was the anniversary of the death of Gustave Stresemann. He then proceeded in few but well-chosen words to pay a fine tribute to the memory of the great German statesman. At the conclusion of the speech the Assembly rose and stood in silent homage. Count Bernstorff replied on behalf of the German Delegation. The Assembly closed on the morning of Saturday, the 4th October. COMMITTEE No. 1. Organization of the Permanent Court of International Justice. Last year's Assembly gave its approval to certain amendments to the statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice. When this year's Assembly met it was found that the protocol embodying the amendments lacked the ratifications necessary to bring them into force. Consequently a rather unfortunate position arose, since a new Bench was due to be elected this year, and the amendments provided, inter alia, for an increase in the number of Judges from eleven to fifteen and the abolition of the posts of Deputy Judges. The Assembly and the Council had power, under the unamended statute, to increase the number of Judges, but not to dispense with the four Deputy Judges. The First Committee considered the position, and then recommended the Assembly to elect fifteen Judges and four Deputy Judges. The documents are numbered A. 45 and A. 57. The resolutions contained in the latter were passed by the Assembly on the 25th September, and the Council and the Assembly immediately afterwards proceeded with the election of the new Court. An account of the financial consequences is given in Document A. 58. Permanent Court of International Justice as Appeal Tribunal. As there was insufficient time to consider carefully the proposal of the Finnish Government, to confer on the Permanent Court of International Justice the jurisdiction of a tribunal of appeal in respect of arbitral awards, the delegate from Finland agreed to the question being inscribed on the agenda of next year's Assembly. (See Document A. 80.) Increase in the Number of Vice-Presidents. I give the text of the First Committee's report, approved by the Assembly on 3rd October :— " At its tenth ordinary session the Assembly considered and referred to the present Assembly a proposal to increase the number of Vice-Presidents from six to eight. The question came before the First Committee this year, and was discussed at the meeting on 20t.h September, 1930. Several delegates, who last year had supported the proposal to amend Article 7, paragraph 1, of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, now stated that they had changed their views. On being put to the vote, the proposal was rejected. The First Committee accordingly proposes that it should not be put into effect." (Document A. 63.) Ratification and Signature of Conventions. I make only brief mention of the report (Document A. 10) of the Committee appointed to consider the question of ratification and signature of conventions concluded under the auspices of the League of Nations. The machinery of modern Government is so complicated, since not only a number of State Departments, but various interests also, have often to be consulted ; so much of the time of Parliament is taken up with purely domestic questions, that surprise need not be expressed at the apparent poverty of results achieved in the field of international conventions. Nevertheless, many countries make quite a good showing (see Document A. 20), and the machinery proposed for future conventions should be of assistance. The First Committee's report came before and was passed by the Assembly at its meeting on the 3rd October. (See Document A. 83.) Codification of International Law. The Conference for the Codification of International Law, the preparatory work for which occupied some years, was held at the Hague in March and April last. The subjects under discussion were nationality, territorial waters, and responsibility of States. The Conference produced a Convention on certain questions relating to the Conflict of Nationality Laws, three protocols—one relating to military obligations in certain cases of double nationality, the second to certain cases of Statelessness, and the third concerning Statelessness—and a final Act. With regard to territorial waters, the Conference noted that the discussions had revealed in respect of certain fundamental points a divergence of views which for the present rendered the conclusion of a convention on the territorial sea impossible, but it recommended that the work of codification should be continued. A committee set up by the Conference to consider the question of the responsibility of States for damage caused on their territory to the person or property of foreigners was unable to report to the full Conference.

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