§ Lieut.-Commander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make concerning the future of the Nansen Office and the work which it performs?
§ Viscount CranborneAccording to previous decisions of the Assembly, the Nansen Office will be liquidated at the end of 1938. His Majesty's Government are strongly of the opinion that arrangements should be made for the work hitherto undertaken by the Office to be carried on after its liquidation for a 35W further period of years under the auspices of the League. They are further of the opinion that a decision of principle as to the arrangements to be made should have been taken at the last session of the Assembly. This view was shared by a very large majority of other Members of the League, and after exhaustive discussions a resolution was drawn up in favour of continuing for a specified period the work carried on under the auspices of the League on behalf of refugees. For various reasons the Soviet Government did not feel able to take this view. Certain delegations believing that the resolution would as a result fail to obtain the necessary unanimity in the Assembly, therefore proposed a reference of the question to the Council for examination. This proposal, which has the effect of postponing the issue for a year, was accepted by the Assembly by the votes of 25 countries. The delegations of 23 countries abstained from voting upon it.
It will now be for the next Assembly to take the decision of principle as to whether or not the work of international assistance to refugees hitherto undertaken under the auspices of the League should be continued. In the meantime the Council will no doubt take such measures as may be appropriate for the further examination entrusted to it by the Assembly.