The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-10
league FACES
DEADLOCK over
ENLARGEMENT
French Crisis Makes
Matters Worse
Especial to The Daily Worker


GENEVA, March 8. - Facing the
most severe test Of Its career, the
league Of nations Is today marking
time, pending settlement Of the
French cabinet crisis.
Dispute over the proposed enlarge
ment Of the league council cannot be
settled until France has a govern
ment.
Alfonso Costa Of Portugal, who was
the candidate of the Latin-American
delegates, was elected president OF
the assembly by SO to IL.
Beyond the appeal to the United
States, which is renewed at a time
when the admission of Germany is
doubtful and Spain is threatening to
withdraw, the assembly session was
purely formal.
The assembly adjourned after Costa
had made his inaugural speech, and
there was no mention made of the
dispute over seats on the council.
Leaders of the disputing factions
are still comforting privately, and the
atmosphere is tense as rumors are
circulated of agreements" and "rup-
lures" These rumors are without
foundation, it is learned and there
is little likelihood of any settlement
until France has chosen a govern
ment and her delegates are free to
negotiate.
Germany Stands Pat.
Germany declines to enter the
league until the council question Is
iset.ied, and demands chat she be the
only new nation admitted to the coun-
ell.
! France insists upon Spain. and per-
/ haps one other nation being given a
seat and her delegates are not willing
to recede from this position until they
/ have the backing of a government.
Spain threatens to quit the league
entirely if her request for seat on
the council is rejected.
Sweden is bitterly opposing the ex-
Ipansion of the council.
Latin-American countries are re-
ported ready to follow Spain If she
/ quits the league.
May Scrap Loearno.
Even the Locarno treaties may go
by the boards if the league fails to
settle its crisis. Under the provisions
of these treaties Germany was to be-
,, come a member of the league, and If
Germany now refuses to enter the
. league the Locarno treaties may be
considered ineffective.
Conferences yesterday between the
representative of France, Great
Britain and Germany came to a climax
when DIR. Stresemann is reported to
: have intimated that Germany feels
she is being tricked by the plans to
: enlarge the league council He insist
:, ed that at Locarno he was promised
!. that Germany would alone be admitted
= to the council, and now he claims that
France wants the addition of other
nations so as to Offset the power OF
Germany.
M. BRAND and Sir Austen Chamber.
n lain responded to this with the state
ID ment that the admission Of Spain to
n the council had been under cOnsidera
N ton for several years.
e Talk Disarmament.
While it is improbable that there
will be any definite action taken pend
ing the settlement Of the question 0.
n Germanys admission, the agenda calls
for discussion Of plans for an econ
omic conference, settlement OF a dat,
II. for the preliminary disarmament con
II. ference, measures to prevent furthel
te border clashes between Greece an,
or Bulgaria, final approval Of the ex
D. tension of the British mandate owe
IS lrak and the financial rehabilitation
of Hungary. All Of these question:
= pale into insignihcance, however
while the big problem OF Germany an,