A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
VARIOUS explanations are proffered for the substitution of M. Maisky for M. Potemkin or M. Molotoff as dele- gate of U.S.S.R. at the League of Nations Council meeting next week. Since it was definitely intended that M. Potemkin should attend, either a change was made for political reasons or M. Potemkin's illness is genuine, or—which I have not seen suggested so far—someone in Moscow realised that it was the turn of the Russian delegate to preside at the Council meeting this time, and that it is almost essential that the chairman should be someone fully conversant—as I believe M. Molotoff and M. Potemkin are not—with one or other of the League's two official languages, French and English. It is true that there is a Russian Assistant-Secretary-General, who would no doubt steer a Russian-speaking chairman as best he could, but the advantage of having M. Maisky in the chair will be considerable. One of the onerous duties of the Russian delegate will be to present a Report on the Date of the Conference for the Unification of Signals at Level Crossings. M. Maisky should be quite equal to that.
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