Germany Applies

Foreign Minister Stresemann of the German Reich scanned a note. He signed it and his secretaries sealed it. They dropped it into a German post box. They telegraphed to Geneva that it was coming.

When it arrived, Sir Eric Drummond, Secretary-General of the League of Nations, skimmed through the lengthy preamble and rested his eye fondly on the conclusion: "I have the honor, in accordance with Article 1 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, to formulate herewith, in the name of the German Government, a proposal for the admission of Germany to the League of Nations.

"I beg you to put this proposal on the agenda of the Assembly as soon as possible. Stresemann."

The preamble, however, was of the first importance. In it Herr Stresemann managed to put on record the fact that Germany is applying for admission only on the strength of the assurances and concessions which she received at Locarno (TIME, Oct. 26 INTERNATIONAL).

Thus Germany will be able to turn back to this prudently worded application at a future date and show that, while she technically applied "without reservations," she actually did so on the basis of an unwritten understanding.

With the receipt of the German application, an extraordinary session of the Assembly of the League of Nations was at once called for March 8 by Signer Vittorio Scialoja, the Italian President of the Council of the League of Nations. At the same time, it was announced that the preliminary parley which is to pave the way for a League Economic Conference (TIME, Sept. 28 LEAGUE) will assemble at Geneva on April 26.