"The members of the committee have, in certain cases, made personal representations to the representative of the interested Government, with the object of drawing friendly attention to the advisability of put ting an end to the difficulties with which the minority is concerned. In the majority of cases the committee addresses the Government in question through the director of the minorities section of the secretariat, either by writing or verbally, either formally or informally.
"The committee often does not reach a final decision, even after having received all the supplementary information which it may desire. The case may be regarded rather as a link in a long chain than as an independent affair, and the members of thq committee sometimes con sider that such a case, although of secondary importance in itself, may be of a character to be brought before the Council, if other similar cases should arise. The committee, in these circumstances, invites the minori ties section to follow the case for a certain period of time, and to notify it if there should arise any fact which would appear to justify a further discussion between its members." (c) Object of the Committee's Examination.—In its resolution of Sept. 5, 1923, the Council clearly specified that the con sideration by the committee of petitions and the observations of the Governments concerned is intended solely to determine whether one or more members of the Council should draw the Council's attention to an infraction or danger of infraction of any of the clauses for the protection of minorities. As the
Council also stated in the same resolution, the fact that the committee is considering a petition or observation in no way affects the right of any member of the Council not represented on the committee to draw the Council's attention to an infrac tion or danger of infraction of those clauses.
It will be clear from what has been said above regarding the working of the minorities committee what an important part this committee plays as a means of conciliation and pacifi cation in this difficult and delicate problem. The flexibility of its procedure enables its members to take into account the special circumstances of each case. In short, the work of the minori ties committee has enabled full effect to be given to a resolution which was adopted by the Assembly at its Third Session (1922) with a view to defining the League's methods in the matter of the protection of minorities. "While in cases of grave infraction of the minorities treaties it is necessary that the Council should retain its full power of direct action," so it is set forth in the resolution of 1922, "the Assembly recognizes that in ordinary circumstances the League can best promote good relations between the various signatory Governments and persons belonging to racial, religious or linguistic minorities placed under their sov ereignty by benevolent and informal communications with those Governments."