§ Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement on the discussions which took place at the recent League of Nations Council on the future of the International Office on Refugees?
§ Viscount CranborneIn accordance with the Assembly's instructions, the President of the Governing Body of the Nansen Office presented a report to the Council at its last session on the liquidation of the Office. A resolution was submitted to the Council approving the transmission of this report to Governments with a view to its consideration by the Assembly, and asking Governments to submit any observations which they might have to make upon it before the opening of the next session of the Assembly. The Soviet representative pointed out that the report in question put forward a number of problems in connection with refugees. If the Council were to take account of those problems, it would either have to renew the life of the Nansen Office or create another similar body. The Soviet representative wished to make it clear that, by adopting the resolution, the Council was not expressing any opinion in regard to the problems put forward by the President of the Governing Body. The President of the Governing Body expressed the hope that Governments would submit observations on his report. He added that the problem itself could only benefit from previous study by Governments, which would enable the 1938 Assembly to take its final decision in the 1221W matter with the fullest possible information at its disposal. The resolution was adopted without further discussion.