Evening star., 1926-06-12
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

On it's face the contest as to whether
Brazil shall be given a permanent
saat in the Council Of the League OF
Nations appears to be a mater OF
national ambition affecting but one
nation, but the issue broadens when
II is noted that Brazil has held her
n,ace in the council continuously ever
since the league was organized ana
has received assurances from Euro
nea,n powers that her reelection next
sentember is foreordained. Yet Era
zil Is not satisfied. and there Is con-
iecture as to whether her unrest is
hocause she feels able to make her
a,ection permanent by taking advan-
tape of the diplomatic situation or
whether the protest against her mo-
nopolizing the honor, which protest
was filed by Venezuela last year, may
now ieopardize her hold of the posi-
ton
At the sixth assembly of the league
the following resolution was adopted
on a. motion by Venezuela:
..The assembly, noting that the non
nermanent members of the council at
present in office have been reelected
sor YEAR. considers the meaning or
this reelection to be that 1t is subject
IN the non-permanent part OF tne
council being renewed as from the
election of 1925 by appllcatloh OIL tne
principle of rotation.
The sixth assembly further reltef-
ated the following recomneiloa'ion'
adopted unanimously by tne as-
semblies of 1922, 1923 ana l9-4'
..It is desirable that the assennpl! y,
in electing the six non-peTliianeIn. eIao
members of the council, should make
its choice with due consideration 1or
the main geographical divisions OF
the world, the great clinical groups
the different religious traditions, tne
various types Of civilization ana the
chief sources of wealth.
Saws an experienced diploma l.
with all those points upon tile
scorecard of the qualification 1or
seat on the council. it becomes dlui-
cuIt for the league to overlook the
necessity of putting on the couilcli
representation of the western II
Hemisphere, hence the other natiolis
of south America see that II they
can oust Brazil the honor still must
stay in this half of the world 10
complv with the fixed rule OF con,
sideration for the main geographlcal
divisions of the world They look 1or
the vacancy as theirs to Hill 'hes
can shove Brazil aside. 3.
Argentina, as we'll as NeneZuela. -
taking active part in urging ro'a :
tion in the honor, but Afseh'ii,1 10
not in as safe a position hersel ~
take too prominent fnltlatlVe, slnee
she has refused to SEND feplen.a
tives to the assembly for hVe years
has contended that the league was
not what it claimed to be. so long
&C ali nations were not represented.
X X \ y
Last September the assemplS sleoe -
ed the non-permanent meInpers VI
tha council for the current year.
Forty-nine states voted ana tne
members elected, together with thelr
respective votes, were as IoIloMe
Brazil. 43; Uruguay, Az CHeci!o
slovakia, 35: Spain, 80; Sweoeh' o.
and Belgium. 32. .,uo
Thus South America holos .wo
seats in the council. one by a halloil
of 100000 population ana the oo ot,le, ann
by q nation of less than 2,ooo,ooo'
Since ST the United States is not a
member Of the league, the western
Hemisphere is now chiefly represent.
ed on the council by the nation next
in population in "the great ethnlcal
groups" in this half of the world
Being Portuguese, however, 1t is
outnumbered by the peoples OF all
other Latin American nations COM
bined which are of Spanish blood
Thus it is pointed out that Vene-
zuela and Argentina are working to-
gether, both being Spanish in descent
Mexico is not a member1l and that