23. Resignation of Chairman

(from "Chairman's Report of the Twelfth Meeting")



At the start of the meeting, Mr. Wall announced that, as he had ceased to be responsible for whaling in the United Kingdom Administration, it had become inappropriate for him to remain United Kingdom Commissioner. The Rules of Procedure required the Chairman to be elected from among the Commissioners but did not explicitly make it a condition of office that he should continue to be a Commissioner. Nevertheless he felt it right and proper that he should ask the Commission to accept his resignation as Chairman as from the close of the present meeting.

As a consequence, towards the close of the meeting, Mr. George Clark (Canada), the Vice-Chairman, was unanimously elected Chairman for the next three years on the proposal of the United States Commissioner, seconded by the Commissioner for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. On the proposal of the Commissioner for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, seconded by the Commissioner for Denmark, Mr. B.C. Engholm (United Kingdom) was unanimously elected Vice-Chairman. The retiring Chairman was thanked for his services.

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