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published of these exchanges of views which frequently take place during sessions of the Council, and no account will therefore be given here of what took place. It is sufficient to say that the Council, having been requested by a further communication from the Finnish representative, dated 7th December, to refer to the Assembly the dispute which had arisen between Finland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, felt it had no option but to accede to the request, especially as paragraph 9 of Article 15 of the Covenant had been invoked. This paragraph reads: — " The Council may in any case under this Article refer the dispute to the Assembly. The dispute shall be so referred at the request of either party to the dispute, provided that such request be made within fourteen days after the submission of the dispute to the Council." I should add that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics not represented at the exchange of views; indeed, the Soviet Government announced its intention not to take part in meetings of the Council and the Assembly. I therefore raised certain points of procedure, and was informed in reply that the Soviet Government would be advised through its representative then in Geneva (who had been attending meetings of the Fourth Committee), of the proceedings of the Council, The Council then met in private. ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL. Renewal of the Appointment 'of a Judge and Replacement of a Deputy Judge. The representative of China proposed that M. Eide's appointment as Judge be renewed for three years, and that M. Jason Stavropoulos be appointed Deputy Judge in place of M. Havelka who found himself tunable to serve. This latter appointment will take effect on the Ist January next and will be for a period of three years. The Council agreed (Document C. 386, 1939). Co-ordination between the Advisory Committee on Social Questions and the Health Organization. On the request of the 1938 Assembly this question has been examined, a small Committee having been appointed by the Council for the purpose. This Committee considered that the most effective Wsfy -of promoting co-ordination' was by means of liaison officers and by a Committee of Co-ordination formed from the Health and Social Questions Committees of the League. For further information you are referred to the Report (Document C. 203, M. 132, 1939), which was submitted to the Council under cover of a Note from the Secretary-General (Document C. 387, 1939, III). The Council endorsed the conclusions of the Report of the Special Committee appointed to consider co-ordination between the Advisory Committee on Social Questions and the Health Organization. Appeal of the Finnish Government. The President having invited the representative of Finland, M. Holsti, to come to the Council table, called on the Secretary-General to inform the Council of the measures he had taken in connection with the Finnish request. Of these, M. Avenol gave a detailed account, and I refer you to the minutes of the meeting. I would, however, quote here a telegram which the' Secretary-General sent to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the 4th December, reading:— " The Finnish representative accredited to the League of Nations, in his communication of the 3rd instant, which I had the honour to communicate to you yesterday, states that he will forward to me a complete statement of the reasons and circumstances which have led his Government to request the intervention _of the League of Nations. The Finnish Government having invoked, in addition to Article 11, Article 15, which provides that the Secretary-General will make all necessary arrangements for a full investigation and consideration of the dispute, I direct your attention to paragraph 2 of the said Article 15, which provides that the parties will communicate to me, as promptly as possible, a statement of their case with all the relevant facts and papers." The President then called on M. Holsti, who, after making a brief reference to the appeal which he had made on behalf of his Government, made a formal request to the Council to refer the dispute to the Assembly without delay in order that that body might deal with it immediately, and in this connection he invoked paragraph 9 of Article 15 of the Covenant referred to above. The President stated that in the circumstances it was encumbent on the Council to accede to the request, and his conclusion, framed in the following terms, was agreed to by the Council: — " The Council requests the Assembly to place the question submitted by the Representative of Finland upon the Agenda of the Assembly and instructs the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures for that purpose." The Twentieth Assembly of the League of Nations was opened on the morning of Monday the 11th December, by Count Carton de Wiart, the representative of Belgium, acting in liis capacity as President of the Council. After formally declaring the session open' lie referred to the necessity for simplifying as far as possible the procedure to be

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