Foreign News: Seats

The Assembly of the League of Nations proceeded methodically last week to elect nine states to nonpermanent League Council seats in accordance with the program approved by the Assembly a fortnight ago (TIME, Sept. 13).

Poland, Chile and Rumania were elected for three years, the Polish seat being made renewable. Colombia, Holland and China were elected for two years; and Czechoslovakia, Belgium and Salvador were elected for one year. Thus the League Council will consist next year of these nine states and the permanently seated powers: Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Council Sits. At the first session of this "1926 Council," Foreign Minister Doktor Gustav Stresemann appeared, pink and portly, as the first representative of Germany, to sit at the Council table. Reaching into his breast pocket he pulled out a long white cigar holder, clipped a fat Havana, and settled back behind a peaceful smoke wreath. As a matter of courtesy and alphabetical precedence the chairmanship of the Council was offered to the Representative of Germany (Allemagne). Beaming, Dr. Stresemann declined the honor on the ground that he does not speak French, the language in which the Council is ordinarily conducted. Thereupon Foreign Minister Benes of Czechoslovakia, the retiring chairman, was called upon to preside and the Council took up an innocuous matter—acceptance of a bronze bust of Woodrow Wilson proffered by one Robert J. Caldwell, rich Manhattan Republican and an official of the League of Nations Non-partisan Association.

By the time the bust had been accepted Dr. Stresemann's cigar had burned to a well-mouthed stump and he discovered that he possessed no other cigars. Foreign Minister Briand of France, resourceful, smilingly proffered a packet of French cigarets from which Dr. Stresemann selected one without enthusiasm. Upon this tableau of Franco-German concord Foreign Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain of Britain (as lean as M. Briand and Dr. Stresemann are fat) cast a thin but approving smile.

The Council shortly adjourned without transacting other than routine business.