A.—5A,

appointed by the Council. Nevertheless, in derogation of the provisions of paragraph 2 (a) of Article 15 of the General Regulations on Committees, each titular member who falls ill or is prevented from attending will retain the right to send a temporary substitute to replace him, with the consent of the President of the Health Committee and the Secretary-General, these temporary substitutes being appointed in accordance with paragraph 2 (6) of that Article. Consequently, substitute members appointed by the Council will sit on the Committee whenever the absent titular members fail to avail themselves of the provisions of paragraph 2 (b). In such a case each substitute member will sit in an individual capacity and will not be required to represent the absent titular member whom he has replaced. This is embodied in my report to the Council, which approved of the proposal to appoint as substitute members Dr. Janie Skuja, of Riga ; Dr. Alfred Gigon, of Basle; and Dr. Hemil Bey, Under-Secretary for Health, of Cairo. A fourth substitute member is to be appointed at a later date. . In addition, the Council approved of the appointment of two members to fill vacancies in the persons of Professor B. Johan, of Budapest, and Professor J. Balteanu, of Jassy. See Document C. 153, 1938, 111. (b) Committee for Communications and, Transit. The Rapporteur, M. Litvinoff, the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, stated that two vacancies had occurred on the Committee for Communications and Transit, one by death and the other by resignation. The Swiss Government proposed that the vacancy caused by the death of M. R. Herold should be filled by the appointment of M. Hans Hunziker, and this was within that Government's rights under the statute of the Committee. The Rapporteur suggested that the nomination be accepted, and this was agreed to by the Council. The other vacancy, caused by the resignation of an Argentine national, the Government of which country has likewise the right of nomination, will be filled at a later date. See Documents C. 164, 1938, VIII, C. 165, 1938, VIII, and C. 177, 1938, VIII. European Conference on Rural Life. No decision was required by the Council which merely took note of the progress report by the Secretary-General on the preparatory work for the Conference to be held in 1939. See Document C. 161, 1938, 11, B. Permanent Exhibition of Graphs relating to Current Economic and Financial Conditions. This has reference to an ofier of money made through the Danish Government by a Danish Foundation to provide for a permanent exhibition in Geneva of economic graphs. The question of an exhibition was raised at the last Assembly, and correspondence on the subject has since taken place. This is reproduced in Document C. 171, 1938, 11, A. The Rapporteur on the question, the representative of Sweden, considered that the Committee of Statistical Experts, which is to meet m July, should give its opinion, and this the Council decided by resolution to do (see the Rapporteur's report, Document C. 172, 1938, 11, A. International Act concerning Intellectual Co-operation. Under resolution of the last Assembly the Draft International Act concerning Intellectual Co-operation was submitted to States members and non-member States for their observations, and the replies of the Governments were considered by the International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation. The result of the Committee's consideration is given in Document C. 145,1938, XII. Its recommendation to the Council is that provision should be made for the summoning of a conference for the conclusion of a convention, and that in the meantime the replies should be closely examined with a view of clearing up points which have been raised. In accordance with this recommendation, and on the advice of the Council's Rapporteur, the representative of France, the Council, by resolution, requested the Government of France to accept the responsibility of summoning and organizing a diplomatic conference. The Rapporteur's report is Document C. 178, 1938, XII. International Institute for Educational Cinematography. This Institute, founded as a result of an ofler by the Italian Government made in 1928, has closed since the Italian Government decided to leave the League of Nations. The Institute performed several functions under the Convention Facilitating the International Circulation of Films of an Educational Character, and the closing of the Institute has resulted in a suspension of activities under the Convention. The British Government, for one, is anxious that normal work under the Convention should be resumed, and it brought the matter under the notice of the Council, which, on the advice of its Rapporteur, the representative of the United Kingdom, passed the following resolution (see Document C. 185, 1938, XII): — " The Council — _ " Being anxious to assist in bringing about the resumption of the operation of the Convention for Facilitating the International Circulation of Films of an Educational Character, which has been suspended since December 27th last, " Decides to propose to those States which have ratified that Convention, or have signed but not yet ratified it, that they should meet in conference at Geneva immediately before the Nineteenth Session of the Assembly of the League of Nations. " The Council requests the Secretary-General to convey this proposal to all the Governments concerned, asking them to send in their replies before July 31st next. " On the basis of those replies the Secretary-General, after consulting the President of the Council and the United Kingdom Government, from which the proposal emanated, may summon the conference and fix its date and other particulars.

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