I think it is desirable that there should be on record a statement of how the Delegation voted in the elections to the International Court of Justice yesterday. On the first ballot we supported candidates from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, U.S.S.R., France, China, Belgium, Brazil, Salvador and Yugoslavia, all of whom were elected on that ballot. In addition we supported the candidates from Venezuela, India, Norway, Poland and South Africa. We reluctantly decided not to vote for Bailey on the first ballot since it was argued strongly that this might affect Read's chances of election. I am glad to say that since Bailey only got eighteen votes on this ballot our lack of support for him was not in any way responsible for his defeat.

On the second ballot for the two unfilled places we supported the Indian and Australian candidates. Since no candidate in the Assembly secured a majority there still remained two places to be filled.

On the third ballot, since Europe was under-represented on the Court we gave our votes to the Norwegian and to Bailey and the Norwegian was elected. We stuck to Bailey for the fourth ballot but he lost to the Pole.

The result is that the Court includes only two judges from the British Commonwealth—McNair of the United Kingdom and Read. I think a third candidate would have been chosen if it had not been for a division of votes between Zafrullah of India and Bailey. For electoral purposes the British Commonwealth is undoubtedly regarded as a group, even for the choice of judges. There are four Latin Americans on the Court from Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Salvador, and they very nearly succeeded in electing an in-different candidate from the Argentine as well. In addition to McNair there are six Europeans on the Court, from France, Belgium, U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia, Norway and Poland. The four remaining seats are filled by the Chinese, Canadian, United States and Egyptian candidates.

From the little I know of the candidates, it strikes me that a pretty competent group of judges has been chosen. They still have to determine the length of the term of each of the judges by drawing lots for those who will sit for the three and six year terms.

Yours sincerely,
H. H. WRONG