LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 19273, 11 June 1926, Page 6

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Ax the beginning of May the League of Nations Council held meetings in Geneva to consider the question of its composition, which loomed into obstructive importance at the meetings of the League, called to deal with the admission of Germany, two months earlier. The question was not settled. Now, as the result of a second meeting, or series of meetings, fears have been raised in some quarters that it may assume a destructive importance. Iho resumed meetings were doomed from the first to be less than decisive, because Brazil and Spain, which are both claimants for permanent seats on the council—a desire that would not be met by Viscount Cecil’s plan for a remodelling of the system of selection of non-permanent seats —preferred not to attend them. Now Brazil has notified that she intends to withdraw from the League. Moreover, she will withdraw “instanter,” though its constitution requires that two years’ notice shall be given of such an act. Spain threatens to behave in the same manner. They would both be practically following the example of Argentina, whose delegation withdrew from the first Assembly when it could not get its way over a certain amendment of the Covenant, and has not attended since. The Argentine Government, it is explained, has never given notice of an intention to leave the League, and appears to regard itself as in a state of suspended or passive membership, to continue until some measure regarded as a satisfactory equivalent to the amendment which it could not get passed is adopted. Recently there have been hopes of the Argentine repenting of its sulks, but it is feared now lest the company of Spain and Brazil may confirm them. Both the latter Powers have held go-called non-permanent ”

[ seats on the Council since its inception. It cannot bo said, therefore, tnat they have been badly treated by the League. But their decision is that either they must be treated, in respect of their title to seats,' as well as their possession of them, precisely as if they were main Powers, or they will wash their hands of the League. It is—or it should bo—a most nn-League-like spirit. Fifty-five States, each fighting before all things for its own hand—if these examples should spread —might as well fight for them separately as at Geneva. But tho fear that, with the secession of Brazil and Argentina, South America would not be represented in the international body, making a serious blow to its representativeness and influence, does not seem one that need disturb us yet for a while. Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, besides the States in question, and in addition to practically all the Central American States, are members of the League. Only Uruguay is a member of the Council, but others can be elected to it, and they agree so ill among themselves when they hold “ pan-Ameri-can ” conferences that the prospect of them all following Brazil’s bad example should bo quite a remote one.