CO537-4800 — Page 45

it necessary he should draw

attention to the precise wording

of Article 73 which refers to

"Members of the United Nations

which have or assume responsibilities

for the administration of territories

whose peoples have not yet attained

a full measure of self-government..."

The article does not raise the

question of sovereignty, but

concerns itself with the exercise

of administrative responsibility.

The representative of the United

Kingdom can point out that his

Government is responsible for the

administration of the Leased

Territories and therefore deems it

appropriate, by the terms of the

Charter, to transmit information

on social, economic and educational

conditions in those territories.

If the United Kingdom representative

finds himself obliged to develop

this argument, he may cause some

embarrassment to the United States

in view of their discussions with

Panama regarding the transmission

of information on the Canal Zone.

He should therefore warn the United

States delegation in advance that,

if pressed, he will feel obliged

to say something on these lines.

He should insist that it is quite

beyond the competence of the Fourth

Committee to discuss the question

of sovereignty".

In the event, the Chinese representative

/did

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