The United States and the World Court, 1920-35

This book deals with the history of the relations between the United States and the Permanent Court of International Justice - the former World Court. Its central theme is why, how and when the US government proposed to join the Court and, ultimately, drew back.;The point of chronological departure is the close of World War I, the Paris Peace Conference, 1919, and the drafting of the Court's Statute in 1920 under the auspices of the League of Nations.;The US Senate failed to approve American adherence to the Court in 1935 and a central concern of the book is to explore the topic of American isolationism and its relationship to the outbreak of World War II. The text may also be read as a history of the League of Nations and the author reveals the disingenuous purposes for which fine ideals were manipulated under its name.;A concluding chapter examines the period 1935-85 and draws some general conclusions about the conduct of American foreign policy in the mid to late 20th century.