reelection for the immediately following term. The Governing Board will have broad powers to consider any matter within the scope of the authority granted it by the inter-American conferences or referred to it by the consultative meetings of Foreign Ministers, which relate to the effective functioning of the inter-American system and the solidarity and the general welfare of the American republics. The Board is also authorized by majority vote to convoke the regular or special meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. It will likewise exercise a greater degree of supervision than in the past over other inter-American agencies and is to organize provisionally, pending action by the Ninth Conference at Bogotá, a permanent InterAmerican Economic and Social Council to replace the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee.

The Pan American Union is to prepare a draft charter for the new inter-American system to be submitted to the governments prior to December 1, 1945, in anticipation of its consideration and approval at the Bogotá Conference in 1946.

The resolution was based chiefly on two proposals: one introduced by the United States Delegation (45, app. II), and the other by the Mexican Delegation (43, app. II). The two proposals had the same objective, namely, the establishment of a strong and effective interAmerican system, but they differed markedly in that the United States resolution envisaged the building up of the existing system through a greater consolidation and integration, while the Mexican proposal envisaged a strong decentralization through the establishment of a variety of permanent agencies responsible to a rotating council in lieu of the Governing Board. The discussions of Subcommittee 2 resulted in the preparation of one document in which were incorporated parts of both resolutions together with additional provisions suggested by the members. As approved, the resolution contains in large part the preamble of the United States draft, as well as the United States proposals respecting quadrennial meetings of the international conferences of American states, annual meetings of Foreign Ministers, the expanded functions of the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, and the establishment of an Inter-American Economic and Social Council. The paragraphs relative to the preparation of an organic charter for the system, to include provisions on the rights and duties of states and of man, were taken from the Mexican proposal, as well as the thought that the new system should eventually be based upon a convention.

Also on the basis of a provision of the Mexican proposal, Señor Lleras Camargo, Chairman of the Committee, drafted the paragraph relative to the new composition of the Governing Board of the Pan American Union. Some of the delegations, particularly the Honduran and Nicaraguan, did not feel that this provision was neces

sary, and they preferred that it be left optional whether the members should be specially appointed to the Union or continue to be the ambassadors accredited to the government of the country in which the Union is located. The majority of the delegations, however, were in favor of making special representation obligatory, contending that special representatives would be freer to undertake their duties on the Board if they were not those accredited diplomatic representatives and did not also have to perform the functions of such officials.

It was the general view of the Committee, vigorously advanced by its Chairman, that as much of the reorganization of the inter-American system contemplated in the resolution as was feasible should be undertaken provisionally at once subject to ratification by the Ninth International Conference of American States.

The resolution known as the Declaration of Mexico (Resolution XI), another of the principal documents prepared by Committee III, is a statement of the essential principles "which should govern the relations between the states composing the American community.” These include the basic inter-American principles of respect for international law, the sovereign and juridical equality of states, pacific settlement of disputes, the inviolability of territory, and the nonrecognition of territorial conquests. A paragraph regarding aggression incorporates the principles agreed upon in the Act of Chapultepec. The resolution emphasizes, in addition, the rights of the individual and the social obligations of states, declaring that the interests of the community should be harmonized with the rights of the individual, among which is equality of opportunity to enjoy all the spiritual and material blessings offered by civilization through the legitimate exercise of man's activity, industry, and ingenuity. It also declares that education and material well-being are indispensable to the development of democracy and that economic collaboration is essential to the common prosperity of the American nations.

The declaration is based upon a Mexican proposal (180, app. II) which was extensively discussed by the Committee and substantially modified.

Another significant resolution originating in Committee III and adopted by the Conference is Free Access to Information (Resolution XXVII). This document makes a vigorous assertion of the necessity of free access to information as a means of combatting tyranny. It recommends "that the American republics recognize their essential obligation to guarantee to their people free and impartial access to sources of information", relax censorship as soon as possible after the war, and bend their efforts towards establishing free access to information on a world-wide scale.

The resolution is based substantially on a United States proposal (44, app. II). A similar draft resolution was introduced by the

Uruguayan Delegation (39, app. II) and certain points of that draft are included in the final resolution prepared by the Committee.

Resolution XXII, Tribute to Canada, was proposed by the Chilean Delegation (128, app. II). It pays tribute to Canada for that country's contribution to the defense of the American continent through its enormous war effort; and it refers to Canada's prominent position in the Western Hemisphere and expresses the wish that Canada's "collaboration with the Pan American system may become ever closer".

Another resolution of considerable interest passed by Committee III is Resolution XXXIX, Inter-American Peace System. As originally introduced by the Mexican Delegation (31, app. II), it provided for the establishment of an Inter-American Court of Justice. Objection was raised, however, by the Brazilian, Uruguayan, and United States Delegations to the creation of a separate judicial body for the Americas, and in its final form the resolution merely recommends that the Inter-American Juridical Committee prepare a draft document coordinating inter-American peace instruments into an inter-American peace plan for eventual adoption as a convention.

Resolution XLI, Racial Discrimination, reaffirms the principle of equality of rights and opportunities regardless of race or religion and recommends that the governments make appropriate efforts to prevent acts which might provoke discrimination on grounds of race or religion. This resolution arose out of a proposal by the Haitian Delegation (178, app. II) but is greatly changed from the original.

Among other subjects considered by the Committee as a result of proposals introduced by various delegations was the question of recognition of governments of the American countries. Two such proposals, one introduced by the Ecuadoran Delegation (169, app. II) entitled "Abolition of the Recognition of de facto Governments”, and another by the Guatemalan Delegation (177, app. II) entitled "Preservation of Democracy in America" are referred by Resolutions XXXIV and XXXVIII of the Final Act to the Inter-American Juridical Committee, which is to study the projects and submit its opinion thereon for consideration by the Ninth International Conference of American States. A third proposal entitled "Relations Between the American Governments Based on the Solidarity of Continental Democracy" (68, app. II) was introduced by the Mexican Delegation but was withdrawn before a vote was taken upon it.

The other resolutions of a miscellaneous character adopted by the Committee-most of which merely referred specific projects to the Pan American Union or the Inter-American Juridical Committee for study-were: Reaffirmation of the Principles of the Atlantic Charter (Resolution XII); Incorporation of International Law Into Municipal Law (Resolution XIII); Regulations of the Inter-American Ju

ridical Committee (Resolution XXXII); Crimes of Aggression Against the American Republics (Resolution XXVI); Rights of Women in the Americas (Resolution XXVIII); Revision of TextBooks (Resolution XXIX); Reorganization of the Agencies Engaged in the Codification of Public International Law (Resolution XXV); International Protection of the Essential Rights of Man (Resolution XL); and Postwar Immigration (Resolution XLII).

COMMITTEE IV

Postwar Economic and Social Problems

Two committees were set up to consider questions of an economic and social character: Committee IV on Postwar Economic and Social Problems; and Committee V on Economic Problems of the War and Transition Period. These two groups worked in close relation with one another, and held joint sessions to deal with problems that were of concern to both.

Dr. Gustavo Cuervo Rubio, Secretary of State of Cuba, was elected Chairman of Committee IV, and Dr. Lorenzo Guerrero, Ambassador of Nicaragua to Mexico, served as Vice Chairman. The Reporter was Lic. Luis Demetrio Tinoco, former Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica. Sr. Josué Sáenz, official of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, acted as Committee Secretary, and Sra. Lic. Josefina Poulat de Durant as Assistant Secretary.

At the Committee's first meeting two subcommittees were appointed: one to consider the economic and the other the social projects referred to the Committee. Dr. Carlos A. Pedretti (Paraguay) was appointed Chairman of Subcommittee A, Lic. Jesús Ma. Troncoso Sánchez (Dominican Republic), its Vice Chairman, and Dr. Víctor Paz Estenssoro (Bolivia), its Reporter. Dr. João Carlos Vital (Brazil) was appointed Chairman of Subcommittee B, Lic. Virgilio R. Gálvez (Honduras), Vice Chairman, and Hon. Víctor Andrade (Bolivia), Reporter. Fifty-eight draft resolutions were referred to Committee IV. Subcommittee A dealt with forty-eight of these and the ten others were considered by Subcommittee B. The Committee approved fourteen resolutions, nine prepared by Subcommittee A and five prepared by Subcommittee B, all of which were adopted by the Conference.

SUBCOMMITTEE IV A: Economic Questions

The nine resolutions prepared by Subcommittee A are as follows: Economic Charter of the Americas (Resolution LI). The most important document drafted by Committee IV and one of the significant accomplishments of the Conference is the Economic Charter

of the Americas. Based on the premise that the fundamental economic aspiration of the peoples of America "is to be able to exercise effectively their natural right to live decently, and work and exchange goods productively, in peace and with security," the Charter is a statement of broad objectives and principles of economic policies of the American republics for the attainment of the sound economic development of their resources and the raising of their standards of living.

The declaration of objectives contained in this document specifies: The continuation of mobilization of the economic resources of the American republics until the achievement of total victory; an orderly transition of the economic life of the Americas from war to peacetime conditions; a constructive basis for the sound economic development of the Americas through the development of natural resources, increased industrialization, improvement of transportation, modernization of agriculture, development of power facilities and public works, the encouragement of investment of private capital, managerial capacity and technical skills, and the improvement of labor standards and working conditions.

Guiding principles for the achievement of the foregoing objectives are set forth, including: Equality of access to raw materials and producers' goods; reduction of barriers of international trade; prevention of restrictive practices by cartels or through other private business arrangements; elimination of the excesses of economic nationalism; just and equitable treatment for foreign enterprise and capital; promotion of private enterprise; international action to facilitate the distribution of production surpluses; and realization of the Declaration of Philadelphia adopted by the International Labor Conference.

The final draft of the Charter as approved by the Committee and adopted by the Conference is based on an original resolution (98, app. II), introduced by the United States Delegation, with two principal changes. The first of these related to a provision of the draft recommending the reduction of trade barriers by multilateral action. A project introduced by the Peruvian Delegation entitled "Multilateral Conventions on Postwar Commercial Policy" (123, app. II) also recommended tariff reduction by the same method. But it was contended by many of the delegates that an unqualified acceptance of the proposed principle would expose existing and nascent industries in countries which were at the beginning of their industrial development to competition which they could not meet from more highly industrialized nations. The spokesman for one of the delegations linked the tariff and industrialization questions by stating that tariff protection was an indispensable means for achieving industrialization. It was also held that the relative rise in prices in