thinks it unnecessary to transmit information in respect to that territory under article 73 (e) of the Charter. The resolution also contains a request to the members concerned to communicate to the SecretaryGeneral within a maximum period of six months appropriate informaation relating to the new status of the non-self-governing territory, including the constitution, legislative act or executive order providing for the government of the territories, and the constitutional relationship of the territories to the government of the metropolitan country. This resolution arose from the circumstance that some administering members ceased to report in 1947 and in 1948 on certain territories on which they had in 1946 declared their intention to report. It was the understanding of the United States Government that the transmission of the information requested in the resolution did not alter the right of each administering state to determine the constitutional position and status of any particular territory under its sovereignty. CONFLICT OF ATTITUDES Sharp differences of opinion emerged in earlier sessions of the United Nations between administering and nonadministering members over interpretation and implementation of chapter XI. In 1948 these differences of opinion were primarily concerned with (a) the continuation of the Special Committee on a permanent or reconstituted basis and (b) the obligation of the administering members to transmit political information. The Soviet Union introduced resolutions which, in addition to establishing the Special Committee as a permanent body, would have endowed it with powers comparable to those of the Trusteeship Council, to consider information from private individuals both within and without the territories, to examine petitions, and to send annual missions to non-self-governing territories. Some of the administering powers (the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium) were not only opposed to the establishment of the Committee on a permanent basis but sought to limit its functions to the improvement of procedures for the transmission of information. Belgium proposed that the specialized agencies take over the functions of the Special Committee. The United States, with the support of Denmark, took the lead in securing the adoption of the compromise contained in resolution II. A number of members of the Special Committee have contended that what is termed political information is required, although article 73 (e) calls only for "statistical and other information of a technical nature relating to economic, social, and educational conditions." The political information furnished by six of the eight administering members, including the United States, was summarized by the Secretary-General and was available to all members of the Committee. However, little attention was given by the Committee to the substance of this information voluntarily submitted. Instead, administering members which had not submitted such information were sharply criticized. The Special Committee adopted a proposal that members who had not heretofore transmitted information on government in the optional category of the standard form be invited, nevertheless, to cover the other topics, namely: geography, history, people, and human rights. The United States, as an administering member, contributed substantially to the accomplishments of the Committee by acting as a moderating force in reconciling the conflicting views. Regional Commissions Members of the United Nations which have non-self-governing territories in the Caribbean and South Pacific regions continued their efforts through two regional commissions for the economic and social advancement of the peoples of these areas. Member Governments of the four-power Caribbean Commission are France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States; the membership of the six-power South Pacific Commission includes Australia and New Zealand in addition to the four Governments just mentioned. The Eightieth Congress enacted legislation on January 28, 1948, authorizing participation by the United States in the South Pacific Commission. Subsequently, on July 27, 1948, the agreement establishing that Commission formally entered into effect. Similar enabling legislation was enacted on March 4, 1948, for the Caribbean Commission. The Caribbean Commission agreement entered into force on August 6, 1948. Neither the Caribbean Commission nor the South Pacific Commission has an organic relationship with the United Nations, but both regional advisory groups maintain liaison with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. In accordance with Article XXI of the South Pacific agreement, the Government of Australia, in behalf of all six participating governments, registered the agreement with the Secretariat of the United Nations. The Caribbean Commission has directed that liaison be maintained on a secretariat level between the Caribbean Commission and the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Observers from the United Nations attended the first meeting of the Caribbean Research Council and the Third Session of the West Indian Conference, a biennial meeting of representatives of the peoples of the Caribbean region. The International Labor Office also sent an observer to this Conference. Canada, as in the two pre vious Conferences, and Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic demonstrated their interest in the Conference by sending observers. The development of these regional commissions is an attempt to maintain and enhance the international cooperation on a regional basis which existed during the war years. Conclusion In fulfilling its obligations under chapters XI, XII, and XIII of the United Nations Charter the United States during 1948 continued to adhere to its traditional policy of supporting the aspirations of dependent peoples for self-government or independence. This longstanding policy is well illustrated by the character of American administration in the Philippines, which led to the formation of the independent Republic of the Philippines in 1946. Another notable development in United States territories occurred at the very time the problems of non-self-governing territories were under discussion at the Third Session of the General Assembly. In November 1948, on the basis of universal, adult suffrage, Puerto Rico elected a native-born citizen to its governorship. Puerto Rico is thus in the unique position of being the only non-self-governing territory in the world which has the power to elect its own governor. The system of accountability under article 73 (e) of the Charter is evolving slowly. At its 1948 session, the Special Committee devised a method of reporting which will enable the examining bodies of the United Nations to have more opportunity to study the reports. At the same time the new method will reduce some of the burden on overworked staffs of territorial governments. A spirit of moderation, compromise, and cooperation prevailed in the Special Committee, although a disproportionate amount of time was devoted to procedural matters and the attitude of the U.S.S.R. throughout was unconstructive. The work of the Trusteeship Council was highly praised by the Philippine Representative, who stated in a plenary session of the General Assembly that it represented "a high-water mark of political morality in the modern world." The Council was confronted with many difficulties, however, and a number of problems remain to be solved by those Members of the United Nations who share the determination of the United States to carry out the provisions of chapters XII and XIII. After the Soviet Representative took his place at the Council table in April 1948, the spirit of compromise which had marked previous meetings was broken. The effect of Soviet participation was to sharpen the differences between administering and nonadministering members and to split the vote between the two groups more often. By his repeated attacks on the performance and intentions of the administering authorities, the Soviet Representative beclouded technical issues with propaganda. At the Third Session a statement of minority views-those of the Soviet Representative-was for the first time appended to a Trusteeship Council report. The high purposes which motivated the inclusion of chapter XI, XII, and XIII in the Charter continue to guide the actions of the United Nations, and the machinery for carrying out these purposes is functioning with increasing efficiency. Determined effort will make possible even further progress toward the Charter objectives of promoting to the utmost the well-being of the inhabitants of those territories which have not yet attained a full measure of self-government. ADMINISTRATIVE AND Managerial and financial problems are usually of little interest to the general public and the press. The fact that these administrative aspects of the United Nations have attracted little attention is no measure of the importance with which they are regarded by the Member governments. It is recognized that their careful consideration and disposition are essential to healthy organization and efficient administration, particularly since the United Nations is without precedent in the area of international organization, the Secretariat is staffed with persons of many nationalities, and willing financial support is dependent on the satisfaction of the governments of 58 Members that their contributions are used wisely and efficiently. The General Assembly's Fifth Committee, the Administrative and Budgetary Committee, is one of the busiest of the six main committees of the Assembly. During the Third Session it held 73 meetings and disposed of 35 agenda items which varied widely in significance and difficulty. Revised staff pension regulations, the audit report on 1947 accounts, a procedure for liquidating indebtedness to members of the League of Nations for assets transferred to the United Nations, a policy for the payment of expenses of commissions and other United Nations bodies, and proposals for a United Nations telecommunication system and a United Nations postal administration are examples of items discussed by the Fifth Committee in addition to broader issues, such as the annual budget and the scale of member assessments. Major decisions are reported in the succeeding paragraphs along with significant administrative and financial developments of the year. Major Decisions and Developments BUDGET The General Assembly adopted a United Nations expenditure budget for 1949 in the amount of $43,487,128. Miscellaneous income, estimated at $4,794,550, reduces to $38,692,578 the amount to be assessed against Members. The General Assembly also approved a supplementary budget for 1948 to reimburse the Working Capital Fund for extraordinary and unforeseen expenditures which had not been anticipated by the 1948 appropriations. This supplementary appropriation, $4,460,541 in amount, brought the 1948 expenditure budget to a total of $39,285,736. It will be noted that, despite the expansion of United Nations activities, the 1949 expenditure budget is not much larger than the comparable budget for 1948, i.e. $43,487,128 for 1949 and $39,285,736 for 1948. However, decisions of the Second Part of the Third Session to be held at Lake Success in April and unforeseen and extraordinary expenses during the year may necessitate a supplementary budget for 1949. The budget as finally adopted is the product of many months of careful development and detailed screening. In June 1948 the Secretary-General submitted an estimate of approximately $33,500,000. A standing committee of the General Assembly-the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, composed of nine experts from as many countries and serving in their individual capacities-devoted approximately seven weeks of the summer to a thorough review of the estimates and of both written and oral justifications submitted by the Secretariat. The Committee recommended to the General Assembly that the estimates be reduced by approximately $1,500,000. The Secretary-General agreed to accept most of the reductions before the proposed budget was considered by the Fifth Committee. The Fifth Committee devoted about eight weeks to a close scrutiny of all details of the budget. Its final recommendation was submitted to the plenary session on the last day of the Assembly and approved by a vote of 48 to 0, with 6 abstentions, the United States voting in favor. The 1949 budget submitted by the Secretary-General was more than one million dollars less than the original appropriation for 1948. This was due partly to the fact that the 1948 budget provided for a number of activities-the Balkan Commission, the Korean Commission, the Interim Committee of the General Assembly, and the holding of the regular session of the Assembly away from headquarters—the |