Your UN.951. [1]

Whilst we do not oppose elimination of any wasteful and
unnecessary expenditure we agree that you should try to restore
second meeting of Economic and Employment Commission. Even two
meetings of this Commission appear inadequate for consideration of
economic trends. The test for deciding the number of meetings and
number of committees should not be the money expense, but
efficiency and the job to be done. Commissions have got out of
hand because they were purposeless. Commissions performing
important functions in an efficient manner should not be hampered
by lack of funds.

2. It seems that the only way to ensure proper attention to
economic problems would be to keep the Economic and Social Council
in continuous session on the pattern of the Security Council,
making unnecessary many commissions and committees and being in
the long run less costly. You will recall this was Australian
suggestion put forward at San Francisco. In putting forward this
suggestion the following considerations appear relevant:-

(a) Record of Council to date indicates that time at its disposal
has proved quite inadequate to deal with substantial problems
facing it.

(b) This would be likely to lead to better representation and to
ensure that representatives would have some continuity of service
and therefore better understanding of problems involved.

(c) Present irregularity of Commission and Sub-Commissions
meetings could be overcome by leaving it to the Council, operating
continuously, to call meetings of the subsidiary bodies as
required.

(d) The Council's function of co-ordination in the international
economic field cannot be successfully carried out without frequent
meetings, especially as the specialised agencies do function
continuously and make decisions from day to day of which the
Council should be aware.

(e) Frequent meetings and continuing publicity of the Council
would greatly assist all-important public comprehension (at
present non-existent) of the work of the Council.

(f) The continuous availability of the Council will do more than
anything else to ensur[e] that all economic problems are referred
to the United Nations. Immediate attention could then be drawn to
any 'by-passing'. A case in point is the proposed Study Group of
European Customs Union.

(g) Continuous sessions would involve very little additional cost
and ensure constant supervision of Secretarial activities.

(h) The stature of the Council would be greatly enhanced.

3. Please discuss with Minister. [2] This telegram has been
discussed with Wilson and Wheeler.