Statement by Patrick McGilligan on the Irish candidature for election to the League of Nations Council

The only 'British Empire Group' recognised in the League of Nations is the group consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and all parts of the British Empire not separate Members of the League. The Irish Free State is not a member of that, nor of any other group within the League, and in connection with elections to the Council, as in every other matter, the Irish Free State, like the other members of the Commonwealth, acts solely on its own initiative and represents nobody but itself.

The views of the Irish Government on the question of elections to non-permanent seats on the Council are well known to every Member of the League, as they were clearly stated by the Irish Delegation in plenary session at the Seventh Assembly,¹ when the rules dealing with such elections were discussed. At that Assembly the Irish Delegation, as well as the Canadian Delegation, opposed the group system, and indicated their unalterable attitude that as the Assembly as a whole elects the non-permanent Members, those Members must represent the Assembly as a whole and not any particular group of States. Accordingly, the Irish Free State offers itself for election this year, not in the capacity of one of the Member Nations of the British Commonwealth, but as a Member of the League, having equal rights to representation with all the other Members.

It is clear from foreign Press reports that this attitude of the Irish Free State is well recognised abroad. In practically all of the notices regarding the Irish candidature which have appeared in the foreign Press - not all of them intended to be helpful - the point is specially emphasised that the Irish candidature is independent of any group, and that we go forward for a seat on the Council simply as a Member of the League and as nothing else.

Those who are familiar with the attitude of various Members of the League will realise that, on the question of group representation, to suggest that contrary to the policy it has always advocated, the Irish Free State is now seeking election to the Council as the representative of any group within the League, is calculated seriously to impair the prospects of this country's success in the election.