A.—5A.

The deliberations ,of the Council on the subject of Mandates were brought to an end by the adoption of the following resolution:— " The Council — "I. Takes note (a) of the annual reports relating to the administration of the seven territories enumerated in the report of the Permanent Mandates Commission on the work of its thirty-fifth session ; (b) of the report and minutes of the said session of the Commission ; (c) of the comments made by the accredited representative of the mandatory Power for Ruanda-Urundi; 11. Adopts the present report submitted by the representative of Latvia. " A. Observations regarding the various Territories. (a) The Council instructs the Secretary-General to communicate in every case to the Government of the mandatory Power concerned the observations of the Permanent Mandates Commission on the administration of the territories the annual reports for which it has examined (Syria and Lebanon, 1937; Ruanda-Urundi, 1937 ; Cameroons and Togoland under British mandate 1937 ■ Cameroons under French mandate, 1937 ; Islands under Japanese mandate,' 1937 , Western Samoa, 1937-38), with a request to take thereon the action asked for by the Commission. (b) In the special case of the islands under Japanese mandate, the Secretary-General will also draw the mandatory Power's attention to the minutes of the Commission's discussions in order that due account may be taken of the points on which, owing to the absence of an accredited representative, the Commission could obtain no information. B. Petitions. •' The Council approves the conclusions of the Permanent Mandates Commission with regard to the petitions which it examined at its thirty-fifth session, and instructs the Secretary-General to communicate these conclusions in every case to the mandatory Power and the petitioners concerned ; 111. Requests the Secretary-General, when communicating to the mandatory Powers the observations and conclusions of the Permanent Mandates Commission, to attach the text of the report to the Council by the representative of Latvia, and the minutes of the present meeting." The next meeting of the Council was held on the afternoon of 18th January. All the following questions were dealt with at the private meeting. The public meeting which followed was devoted to consideration of the reports of the Commission for the Investigation of Air Bombardments in Spain. As, however, the matter was adjourned after a number of speeches had been delivered it will be convenient to defer my observations to a later stage. Intellectual Co-operation : International Act signed at Paris on 3rd December, 1938 Action on this question merely consisted of the Council's taking note of the Rapporteur's statement, the representative of France, and of passing the following resolution " The Council— " After hearing the representative of the French Republic, Rapporteur on Intellectual Co-operation Questions, " Takes cognizance of the results of the International Conference held at Paris from November 30th to December 3rd in accordance with its decision of May 13th, 1938 at which an International Act concerning Intellectual Co-operation was concluded It decides to communicate that Act, together with the Final Act of the Conference, to the International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation." The results of the diplomatic conference and the purpose of the Act are set forth in the French Government's communication (Document C. 41, 1939, XII; see also Document C. 514, 1938). Appointments. (a) Advisory Committee on Social Questions. A short time ago the Secretary-General received letters from the Greek and Lithuanian Governments asking whether arrangements could be made for these Governments to be represented on the Advisory Committee on Social Questions. The Rapporteur, the representative of Peru after making a statement on the composition of the Committee as modified by circumstances arising since its renewal m January, 1937, said that there were three vacancies to be filled. When the question of the renewal came before the Council in 1937 the Rapporteur informed that body that his choice of countries to be represented had been governed, firstly, by the desires expressed by the Governments themselves and, secondly, by the fact that the Committee should as far as possible reflect different types of social policy in the various countries. The Rapporteur, on this occasion, proposed that the requests of the Greek and Lithuanian Governments be acceded to as both Governments had displayed great activity in social matters, and Lithuania would fill the gap caused hitherto by the absence of representation of the Baltic States. The Council agreed on the understanding that the term of oihce of the two new members should come to an end in January, 1940, when the mandate of the S5 m it e c™soiT Ss'Tvf SKSVnT 1 ™™" 07 ° 0t "" Doo ™ ts C ' m -

5—A. sa.

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