Extracts from a memorandum by Francis T. Cremins on the candidature of the Irish Free State for election to the Council of the League of Nations
(Confidential)

The Council of the League of Nations consists at present of the following members:-

The retiring non-Permanent Members this year are: Canada, Cuba and Finland. As Norway secured 22 votes at the election in 1929, when the retiring countries were Poland, Roumania and Chile, she stands a good chance - if she goes forward, as she apparently intends to do - of securing a seat this year on the retirement of Finland. The seat which is being vacated by Cuba will almost certainly go to a South or to a Central American State, and this will mean that the Canadian seat will be for competition between the Irish Free State, China and other candidates - in other words, that the Canadian seat will be an open seat, as there is no evidence to indicate that that seat will be regarded as being earmarked, under the group system, for members of the British Commonwealth. Incidentally it may be mentioned that an Irish Free State Delegate in 1926 opposed the group system,¹ on the ground that one State had as good a right as another to go forward, and that the group system restricted the choice of the Assembly in their selection of candidates for the Council.

For purposes of representation on the Council, the present chief 'groups' are (1) the Little Entente, composed of 3 States only (Czechoslovakia, Romania and Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom, the latter being the present representative); (2) the Scandinavian Group, 3 States (Norway, Sweden and Denmark) - Finland being regarded as the present representative though not actually in this group - and (3) the South and Central American Group consisting of 16 States (whose present representatives are Peru, Venezuela and Cuba). The Baltic States comprising Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are not in the Scandinavian Group, but it is apparent that for practical purposes the representative of one of these groups is held to cover the other.

[matter omitted]

As China is now definitely a candidate for election at the next Assembly, it is clear that that country will be the most serious rival of the Irish Free State, though the fact that China owes the League some 8,000,000 gold francs arrears of subscriptions may tell against her.

So far, the Irish Free State has, through her representatives abroad (and chiefly through Count O'Kelly) canvassed about 45 States, through the representatives of those States in Paris, &c. In addition, we have canvassed the Dominions and Great Britain direct. We have received many promises of personal support from the Ministers of various countries, but the only definite promises of votes are those from the four Dominions and from Columbia, Paraguay, and Salvador. The attached Memorandum 'A' indicates the result of the canvass so far as it has gone.

Statement B attached, shows the countries (3) in respect of which we have as yet received no report.

M E M O. A

Count O'Kelly has approached the following foreign representatives at Paris with reference to our candidature for the Council of the League. The result of the interview is indicated in each case:-

Great Britain

Lord Passfield informed Prof. Smiddy that His Majesty's Government in Great Britain would be slow to create the impression in Geneva that it was a party to the formation of groups for the purpose of supporting candidates to Council; they would not commit themselves in advance but would view situation on merits when at Geneva in September next. Said British Government in no way adverse to candidature of Irish Free State.⁵

Prof. Smiddy, London, approached the following:-

Mr. Lester, Geneva, approached:

Minister at Berlin approached the following:-

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Votes definitely promised up to 4/9/30:-

'B'

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The Countries (4) in respect of which we have no reports so far are the following:-

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*South and Central American States. M. Guerrero (Salvador) promised to obtain the support of these States for Irish candidature. M. Guerro has since stated that all the South American states will vote for us. The Argentine Government do not at present send a delegation to the League Assembly.