Evening star., 1926-03-27

Poland. Unhappily, on the eve OF the
session BRAND fell and could on'E
come to Geneva for moment, and
then return to construct a new govern
ment. In those days of his absence no
one could speak for France. but all
parties TO the controversy dug in and
the situation became further EN-
bittered.
When BRAND returned, the general
atmosphere was despairing. The Ger
mans held firmly to their position, but
BRAND could now under no clrCum-
stances abandon Poland without the
collapse of his new ministry, which
was shaky in the extreme. He under
took, therefore, with very great ski,
to find a solution. and a result of his
own adroitness put the responsibility
for the deadlock upon the Germans by
getting them into the position OF re
fusing all compromises.
BY the end of the first week the
Germans had to decide whether they
would go home, thus breaking UP the
whole affair, or accept some Compro-
mise, which amounted to agreeing to
some device by which Poland would
get & seat on the council. And, with
no little courage given by their home
situation, Luther and Stresemann ac-
cepted in principle the device by
tention that the council of the league
should retain its numbers as they eX-
listed in the Locarno period, but
through the resignation of one or
more members of the council, Sweden
and Czechoslovakia, as it turned out.
vacancy would become available
for Poland.
y !: = x
All this was settled by Monday and
the whole atmosphere cleared but
meantime there had been many con
vulsions within the league. Sweden,
as a member of the council. had cN-
erCised its right of veto, since the
council must act by unanimity, to op-
pose any expansion of the numbers
of the council, thus blocking the
French proposal to let in three new
members and bestOw upon them per
nanent seats. This action of Swe-
den represented a certain sympathy
with the Germans. but at bottom
simply voiced the protest of many
smaller states against Il deliber-
ate flooding of the council with ma
tions which would be responsive to
the great powers. Sweden cham
pioued the principle that the council
should not be a vehicle OF the great
powers and that the position of the
smaller states should not he compro-
missed. Holland, Denmark, Norway.
Switzerland and other nations backed
the Swedes.
In making their point the Swedes
advanced no personal claim. But
once a veto had been suggested.
Spain interposed and declared that
she would veto the German entrance
if she were not awarded the per-
manent seat long promised her, and
that, having vetoed Germany, she
would quit the league. Italy moro
or less unofficially indicated that she
might veto Germany if Poland were
not admitted and then, to the utter
surprise of all, Brazil came forward
with categorical declaration that
she would veto Germany unless she
were awarded a permanent seat. The
league machinery now became un-
manageable because of the interior
politics of the league itself.
x x X K
After frantic, hectic conferences
and debates all vetoes save that of
Brazil were removed, but despite all
efforts this could not be abolished
and therefore you had the amazing
spectacle of all the great powers of
Europe agreed upon a solution which
would permit the entrance of Ger
many into the league and the COM
pletion of the greatest single step to-
ward European appeasement taken
since the war, namely, the Locarno
pact, but powerless because one
South American state insisted that it
should have permanent seat at the
same time as Germany. failing which
it would veto the whole solution.
European peace then became the
pawn OF a South American reDI1bIic
which possessed a veto lever.
Thus Geneva ended the most unbe-
lievable farce imaginable. When the
first crisis was over. the only thing
that the league as such was capable
of doing was holding an open session
to discuss an appropriation for new
building. " hen the last act was end
ing, Germany, which had come to be
admitted, was represented by Luther
and Stresemann sitting in their hotel
listening to Brands speeches at the
league session over the radio.
tCoryright. 1826l