South Pacific

Commission

Second Session This Month

THE delegates of the six nations in terested (Britain, United States, France, Holland, Australia, and New Zealand) are gathering in Sydney this month to attend what probably will be the most important meeting of the South Pacific Commission, up to date.

The Commission will assemble in its temporary offices at Middle Head. Mos man, Sydney, on October 25. and its meet infs will extend over at least one week.

Since the inaugural meeting of the Com mission (in Sydney, last May) the Com mission’s activities have been mainly those of preparation.

A special Committee visited Suva and Noumea, in August-September, to report on the rival claims of those Islands’ towns to become the headquarters of the Commission; and applications have been invited from persons competent to receive appointment to the chief executive positions.

When the Commission assembles on October 25, the most important matters to be dealt with will be: • Appointments to the Secretariat, in cluding the office of Secretary- General; • Appointments to the Research Council; • Selection of a location for the head quarters of the Commission.

The chairmanship changes at each Session of the Commission. The countries represented take the chairmanship in alphabetical order. In May. Mr. J. R.

Halligan, as senior delegate representing Australia, was appointed chairman until the next Session. France, as next on the list, will supply the chairman for the next Session, and it is expected that Monsieur R. F. Lassalle-Sere, leader of the French delegation, will take that office.

It is not expected that there will be any important change in the personnel of the delegations.

Proceedings generally will be in Eng lish, as the language of four of the six nations taking part; but, probably, much of the more formal discussion will be translated into French. The Dutch probably will not seek a translation — Dutchmen usually are familiar with both French and English.