CO537-4800 — Page 37

A/915/Add.1 Page 2

"In calling attention to this resolution in his communication of January 21, 1949, the Secretary-General listed the Canal Zone as one among twelve territories enumerated as non-self-governing in 1946 on which information was not transmitted in 1947 and 1948, and, while noting that certain reservations were made in conjunction with this 1946 enumeration of territories, suggested that 'in relevant cases' the information requested by the General Assembly on the changed constitution and status of such territories be transmitted.

"The United States Representative has the honour to advise that, having further considered the text of Resolution 222 (III) in the light of the Secretary-General's note of January 21, 1949, the Government of the United States believes that the resolution is not applicable in the case of the Canal Zone for the following reasons:

"11.

The United States in transmitting information on August 16, 1946, on territories which it administers, including the Canal Zone, made a general reservation that it was doing so 'on the basis of a purely pragmatic approach to the problem of which territories administered by the

?

United States were non-self-governing within the meaning of Article 73 (e) of the Charter. This general reservation has been repeated in subsequent years. Moreover, when the enumeration contained in Resolution 66 (I), to which Resolution 222 (III) refers, was considered by the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly on December 11, 1946, the United States Representative requested that the enumeration by the United States of the Canal Zone be followed by a footnote referring to the statement of the Delegation of Panama in the Fourth Committee on November 14, 1946. The Secretary-General will recall that on November 14, 1946, the Delegation of Panama contested the action of the United States in transmitting information on the Canal Zone under Article 73 (e) of the Charter on the grounds that the territory could not be considered a non-self-governing territory and that sovereignty over the Canal Zone rested in the Republic

of Fanama.

"2. In omitting the Canal Zone from the list of territories on which it transmitted information in 1947 and 1948 the United States informed the Secretary-General of the reason for this omission. On each occasion, the United States called attention to the statement of November 14, 1946, by the Delegation of Fanama in the Fourth Committee, and, while reserving its own position, stated that the matter was subject for consultation between the two Governments.

"3. Since the United States has at no time claimed that there has been a 'change in the constitutional position and status' of the Canal Zone

/subsequent