Michael MacWhite to Desmond FitzGerald (Dublin)
(M.L. 03/023)

A Chara,

As far as I can gather the Extraordinary Assembly is likely to sit for four or five days. It will meet on the afternoon of March 8th, when two Commissions will be constituted - one Financial and the other Constitutional.

In addition to allocating Germany's portion of the expenses, the Financial Commission will have to deal with the question of the new buildings and the creation of several new posts in the Secretariat. Discussion on those matters will last for at least two days. The Commission on Constitutional questions will, as soon as it meets, appoint a sub-committee to examine the German demand for admission. This sub-committee will sit in private and satisfy itself that the application conforms to Article I of the Covenant. It is likely that the Members of the Sub-Committee will put many questions to the German delegates concerning their military, naval and air forces, and also as to the manner in which Germany has carried out the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles. As soon as the Sub-Committee presents its Report, a Plenary Meeting will be held, when Germany will be admitted to Membership. This will probably take two or three days.

Immediately after Germany's admission the Council of the League will sit and decide that Germany is to have a Permanent seat on the Council. This decision will be communicated to the Constitutional Commission and afterwards to the Assembly, where no opposition is anticipated. In any case a majority vote of the Assembly will decide.

In the meantime, Poland is pushing her candidature with all the means at her command. In this, she is being strongly backed by France and Belgium. Several other Members of the Council are also supposed to be favourable to Poland's claim, but Sweden seems to be completely antagonistic to it. The attitude of Great Britain is doubtful, but I have reason to believe that when Chamberlain and Briand discussed the matter at Paris a few weeks ago the former was in no way hostile.

It is probable that once Germany gets her permanent seat on the Council, somebody will propose that the claims of the other candidates be only examined at the ordinary Assembly in September, but Poland is likely to object, as she believes that once Germany is in possession there is little chance of the Council arriving at a unanimous decision on the matter afterwards. Brazil is withdrawing her candidature on condition that, in future, three non permanent seats be allotted to Latin America, instead of two as at present. Spain, of course, still holds the field, but Quinones de Leon is not likely to press his claim, in view of Poland's attitude.

Outside of the permanent seats, there is a likelihood that one or two non permanent seats may be created. In that case, I am assured that Canada will be a candidate and her chances are not at all bad, as the Dominions represent greater interests and larger resources than either the Little Entente or the Baltic Groupe. Canada would hold the seat by turns with the other Dominions. I cannot say whether this idea originated in London or in Ottawa, but I know that at the last Assembly the aspirations of Senator Dandurand¹ did not at all exclude the possibility of Canada being a Member of the Council at no distant date.

In case you are to assist at the special Assembly, it would be wise to calculate that it will last from March 8th to March 13th. It is quite impossible at the moment to form a correct estimate of the time it will last.