Dear Fred,

[matter omitted]

I am, needless to say, all agog for at least a Vice-Presidency. There is no development to report except that the Argentine Foreign Minister is not coming. This leaves the Presidency open at the moment. There are three things to be watched, namely, an elected Vice-Presidency at least; the Chairmanship of the 6th Committee, which would carry an ex-officio Vice-Presidency and a seat on the Bureau; and the possibility of the Presidency. We must also guard against falling between three stools. As regards the Presidency, there is nobody else mentioned so far, but it is possible that the South Americans might want the post for a South American, in the absence of Lamas, and if so they would probably pull it off. Most people are away from here in August, but I am endeavouring to find out how the land lies. Meantime I have informed the Canadian representative of our claim to a Vice-Presidency, with special reference to the 6th Committee, and I am dining with the South African representative tonight. Dr Riddell¹ will give us all his support and I have no doubt South Africa will do likewise. The permanent representative is unfortunately an invalid. He will not be here for the Assembly, but Andrews is coming shortly. I have dropped a line to Sir D.[enis] Bray letting him know. The Australians and New Zealanders are more difficult, as they are situated in London. I do not like the idea of writing to Mr. Bruce, and Officer² is on leave on the Continent. Sir James Parr will probably represent New Zealand. However, I'll try and manage the thing somehow.

As the Agenda of the Assembly is thin, I have been making enquiries as to the likelihood of the Abyssinian dispute being referred to the Assembly. There is at present no reliable forecast as to what may happen, now that the 3-Power negotiations have broken down. Some think that the war will start up any time, and that it will be going on, in a preliminary way, when the Council meets. Walters'³ guess is that the Italians will not attend the Council on the 4th September, and he also is of opinion that the Council will not pass on the dispute right away to the Assembly, although he thinks that the British might be in favour of that course. I asked under what article will the Council consider the matter, and he thinks under Article 11, unless a further request for the operation of Art. 15 is made. I suggested for the sake of argument that the Italians might attend and render any resolution invalid, by opposing it. He thinks that course highly unlikely. I was really of course only trying to elucidate the procedure that would be followed in the matter, and to see if it had been thought out. I do not think that it has been worked out yet, or how the influence of the Assembly, in session at the same time, is to be used.

I will keep H.Q. in touch with events. I wish that we had only one honour to concentrate on! It would be so much easier to deal with.

There is no suggestion so far that the Assembly will be postponed. That is an unlikely contingency.