COUNCIL — SEPTEMBER 1912 — 'üb — 



Council until the next election takes place, and they consider that it would be 

 most inopportune if he should insist upon such a refusal at the present time." 



He added that similar representations were made to him by other Delegates, 

 and that as all the Members of the Council knew unofficially of the change in his 

 position, he did not think in view of these representations, and of the fact that 

 the duties which the position of President were likely to involve in the short period 

 before the next Meeting of the Council would probably be merely nominal, that 

 he was justified in refusing to allow his name to be submitted to the Council for 

 re-election. 



He added that there was one other matter of a personal nature, to which 

 he would like to be allowed to refer. He said it had come to the knowledge of 

 the Bureau that an attack was likely to be made from an influential quarter on 

 the organisation of the Council, and that it had been suggested to them that it 

 was very advisable that a brief Memorandum should at once be drawn up, ex- 

 plaining the objects and some of the results of the Council's work, as well as the 

 nature of their organisation. 



It was, also, brought to the knowledge of the Bureau that an unjustifiable 

 attack was being made upon them and was being given credence to in the absence 

 of the necessary explanations. He had, therefore, been asked by his colleagues 

 on the Bureau to seek a personal interview with Mr. Runciman, with the object of 

 explaining both matters. The Members of the Council he was sure would be 

 gratified to hear that Mr. Runciman had received him personally; had granted him 

 an interview of over two hours duration; had shown by the pertinent questions 

 he asked that he grasped the importance of the various considerations brought 

 before him; and had appeared most favourably interested in the work of the 

 Council. As he understood that Mr. Maurice, as a result of that interview, had 

 been charged with a direct message to the Council he would not dwell on it any 

 longer, beyond explaining the circumstances under which he thought it was better 

 that he should not accept Mr. Runciman's invitation to act as British Delegate at 

 this Meeting. He had submitted for Mr. Runciman's consideration, that whilst of 

 course he was willing to do anything in his power to assist the Board, it appeared 

 to him that if he again acted as one of the British Delegates it would, in the first 

 place, fetter the choice of the Council in a matter in which they alone were 

 responsible, since it would force them to choose as a Member of the Bureau in 



