NEWS OF THE WEEK
AFFAIRS at Geneva have had a lamentable break- down. Brazil has succeeded in holding up the League, and what was to have been the grand ceremony of welcoming Germany as a permanent member of the Council has been postponed till the autumn. Sir Austen Chamberlain's failure has been as great as was his success at Locarno. Everyone -knows that he has worked himself to a standstill at Geneva trying to bring about an agreement, and we are all sensible of the pains he has taken, but the mistake was made not at Geneva but weeks ago in Paris. It was a mistake of such magnitude that it could not be redeemed. The true policy was to stick to the original British idea— which' was not reached without the most careful reasoning—that the only safe and practical form for the Council was that of a small executive, composed of the Great_ Powers. There was never any question of unfairness to smaller Powers. They could always be elected to non-permanent seats on the Council and might, moreover, have special- representation during :negotiations which vitally affected them.
