"GET GERMANY IN."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 7

"GET GERMANY IN."

LEAGUE'S FIRST BUSINESS. MYSTERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS. BIG NATIONS BARTERING. ;By Cable.—Prees Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, September 1. The drafting sub-committee of the Council of the League of Nations held a protracted discussion at Geneva on the French amendment to Viscount Cecil's scheme concerning the re-eligibility of non-permanent members of the Council. It agreed to a temporary arrangement whereby non-permanent members would be admitted to the Council at the forthcoming election. At subsequent elections, however, re-eligibility would be only applicable at the expiration of the member's term of office, not at the beginning of his tenure. In other respects Lord Cecil's scheme would hold good with slight modifications. It was agreed by the reorganisation Commission that there should be nine non-permanent members of the Council, three to be elected for three years, three tor two years and three for one year. After that by special vote it would be decided which three should be eligible for a second term. Thi3 is expected to satisfy Poland which desires a fairly long mandate. There is now a more optimistic feeling at Geneva, as a result of the secret deliberations of the reorganisation Commission. These have not yet been concluded, but they envisage the admittance of Germany alone to a permanent seat on the Council with nine non-permanent members. ROUNDING A DIFFICULT CORNER. The amendment moved on Monday b\" M. Fromageot (France) was referred to the drafting committee with the result that it was modified to the following effect: '"It shall be possible at this Assembly only to declare by ballot the three non-permanent members who are to be re-eligible for election at the expiration of three years; a two-thirda majority of the Assembly to be required for that purpose." Details have not finally been settled but the purpose of the decision is plainly to enable Poland and Spain to occupy non-permanent seats on a semi-permanent basis. "These ingenious and mysterious negotiations cannot be popular with the Assembly. They are the efforts of diplomatists who are trying to get round a difficult corner," says the "Daily Telegraph." "The original straightforward distinction between permanent and nonpermanent members of the Council is the only natural and logical one. To admit other distinctions is to divagate on to a track which is bound eventually to create trouble, jealousy and intrigue. But everything is subsidiary to the admittance of Germany and statesmanship will know how to give way if necessary on smaller matters in order to secure the larger end." The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Sir Austen Chamberlain, arrived in Paris last evening. He had a lengthy conversation with M. Briand. French Foreign Minister, and then left for Geneva.— (A. and N.Z.Sydney "Sun.")