A.—sa,

It had confidently been expected that M. Politis (Greece) would be elected to the office of President of the Extraordinary Session without opposition, and he had been approached to this effect. Having learned that another member was desirous of being President, M. Politis asked his colleagues to refrain from voting for him. M. Riistii Aras (Turkey) was duly elected President by 46 votes to 4. Apparently the feeling was that the representative of a country contiguous to Egypt would offer greater satisfaction to the Moslem countries. The election of the Nominations Committee was not deemed necessary at the Extraordinary Session of the Assembly as the Assembly had met mainly for the purpose of admitting Egypt as a member of the League, nor was it felt necessary, for the same reason, to elect Vice-Presidents. The new President in his address referred to Egypt as " that great Mediterranean country " and said that the significance of the action in electing Turkey to the presidency would be fully appreciated both by the Egyptian and the Turkish people. At the second meeting of the Assembly, the text of the resolution admitting Egypt to the League was circulated to members (Document A, Extra. 5, 1937, VII). It will be noted that the recommendation was for Egypt's contribution to the expenses of the League to be 12 units. In welcoming Egypt, the President again referred to Egypt as " this highly important Mediterranean country " and added that " this young, independent, and sovereign State will become a new factor of equilibrium in the Mediterranean, where the basis of Turkish policy is the maintenance of the status quo, a policy that can only be effectively upheld by the firm determination for a sincere collaboration between States having shores on that sea." The Prime Minister of Egypt, El-Nahas Pasha, in his reply said that the entry of Egypt into the League of Nations constituted for his country an act of faith. He added that foreigners as well as Egyptians would in the future, as in the past, find sympathetic protection in the liberal laws applied by a sincerely understanding authority. He expressed the thought that the happiness of no nation could be ensured unless tranquillity was general. He also referred to the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty by which there had been established between the great British people and the Egyptain people " solid and lasting links of friendship and of confidence." The speeches of welcome of most of the delegates expressed the thought that the countries they represented had always been bound by the closest ties of friendship with Egypt; a substantial proportion also referred to Egypt's ancient art and civilization. Others also congratulated Egypt and the parties to the Agreement concerning capitulations which had recently been come to at Montreux. The representative of Iraq, in welcoming Egypt as a fellow member of the League, mentioned that his country was the first new country to be admitted to the League since it was founded and that Egypt was the second. Iraq had, with Egypt, a community of aims, ideals, and interests. She was also close to Egypt geographically and was bound to her by ties of race, religion, and culture. Iraq welcomed Egypt as another representative of Arab civilization and culture in the League, and hoped that this development would be followed by the admission of " other representations of Arab civilization and culture." He expected that another country from the Mediterranean seaboard would soon take her place in the League —Syria. The representative of the United Kingdom said that the destinies of Egypt during the past fifty years had been closely bound up with those of England. All the States assembled were indebted to the ancient civilization of Egypt. " Long before some of the nations we represent had emerged from their primaeval forests, Egypt had endowed mankind with the gifts of science and letters, and above all, with treasures of her matchless art, which is still a source of awe and wonderment to this day . . . It has long been the aim of His Majesty's Government to assist Egypt to the realization of her full independence." Egypt's close relations with the outside world had grown even closer in recent times " when foreign capital and technical advice have been called upon to play so prominent a part in the making of modern Egypt." In this, Egypt " has played the part of a practised host." One interesting feature of the speeches of welcome to Egypt was the fact that the Swedish representative spoke on behalf not only of Sweden, but of his colleagues from Denmark, Einland, and Norway, and the representative of Greece, M. Politis, spoke on behalf of the Balkan Entente. The representative of Czechoslovakia spoke on behalf of the Little Entente, and the Dominican representative on behalf of Haiti and Cuba. The representative of Sweden said that Egypt, situated at the meeting-place of the great lines of communication between East and West, had a particularly important task to discharge in the work of peace and concord between the nations, and for that reason she was all the more welcome. The representative of Iran also mentioned the close cultural bonds that Persia had with Egypt, and added that Islam made the cultural relations even more close. The accession of Egypt as a member came at a time " when the League of Nations has to make a fresh effort to regain the whole of its prestige." The representative of France said that his country, which had very definite democratic traditions, for that reason alone approved of Egypt's admission to the League. Independence was a guarantee of international probity and solidity. France would guarantee " vigilant friendship." The liberty of Egypt was a contribution to the League. France welcomed another Moslem Power to the League as France had always been a friend of Arab thought and was in a position to appreciate the nobility and value of that thought. The representative of Greece said that Egyptian independence was set forth in agreement which was remarkable for its elasticity and political sagacity, because not only had it consecrated the liberty and independence of Egypt, but it had raised Egypt to the " enviable rank of ally of the greatest power in the world." The Egyptians could look forward to collaborating with the Balkan Entente in the eastern Mediterranean with the object of stability and peace.

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