The Secretary-General of the United Nations has announced that there will be a conference on road and motor transport to be held not later than August, 1949, with the object of concluding a new world-wide convention on road and motor transport to replace two earlier conventions of 1926 and 1931 which are now obsolete and were applicable only to European states. The forthcoming conference is to be international, although it is apparent from the draft convention, and from U.S. comments upon it, that various of the proposed articles are not appropriate for adoption by the United States and Canada.

2. The conference will try to establish international rules for motor traffic, standardization of road signs and signals, regulations for trailers, agreements for motor registration, driving permits valid for all countries, and the conference will also be concerned with technical matters such as the design of road signals, brakes and lights, and the maximum weight and dimensions of vehicles which the signatory countries will allow on their sections of the international roadway network.

3. The United States government is planning to send a large delegation, in which will be included representatives of the American Association of Motor Administrators (a body which is composed of officials, from the forty-eight states, who are concerned with road and motor transport). In addition, the United States delegation will include representatives of the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, Customs, State, Transport, and officers of the Interstate Commerce Commission and of the Treaty Division.

4. Since the United States is taking a leading part in drafting the proposed convention, and since the convention will deal with many matters of passenger and freight motor traffic with which Canada and the United States are concerned, it is thought that Canada should be represented at this conference. The Deputy Minister of Transport has stated that Canada should be represented, although the interest of the Department of Transport in this matter is limited to its effect upon freight and passenger earnings of the Canadian National Railway.

5. Since the matters to be dealt with at the conference fall entirely within the competence of the provinces, the nomination of a Canadian delegation will be somewhat difficult. It is suggested to your consideration that there are four possibilities:

     (a) That Canada be represented only by an observer from one of the missions abroad.

     (b) That each of the nine provinces be invited to send a delegate, under the chairmanship of a representative of the Canadian Government.

     (c) That two or three only of the provinces be.invited to send delegates, to represent the provinces on the Canadian delegation.

     (d) That the Canadian delegation consist of a representative named by the Canadian Government (possibly the Minister of Transport) advised by four other⁷⁴ expert persons also named by the Government and chosen from various parts of the country because of their special knowledge of road transport problems. It is probable, too, that the Canadian delegate should be advised by a representative of the Customs Branch of National Revenue. The provincial governments would be informed that the conference was taking place and would be sent copies of the agenda. They would be told of the arrangements being made for representation and it would also be stated that the Government would be glad to instruct the delegation to put forward any suggestions or proposals which the provincial governments wish to make. It would be made clear, however, that the Canadian delegation would have no power to sign⁷⁵ an international convention and that if any international covenant was approved at the conference, it would be referred to each province before signature and ratification.

6. It is suggested that the last possibility is the most desirable. It would be difficult to send a delegation representing all nine or ten provinces and it would be invidious to invite only certain provinces to take part in this conference. A Canadian delegation, however, composed of a representative of the Canadian Government and advised by four Canadian experts outside the Government service would be open to relatively slight objections on the part of the province⁷⁶

7. If you agree with this suggestion, consideration will be given to the selection of four automotive and transport experts chosen from various parts of the country and also chosen, if possible, in such a way that highway construction interests, tourist interests, and traffic control interests would be indirectly represented.

E[SCOTT] R[EID]

⁷⁴Note marginale:/Marginal note:
Wouldn't three be enough- LB P[earson]

⁷⁵ Note Marginale:/Marginal note:
-Ratify [L.B. Pearson]

⁷⁶ Note marginale:/Marginal note:
I agree LB P[earson]