America and the Court President Hoover quite genuinely wanted to
make the United States a member of the Permanent Court of International Justice, but failed to carry the necessary two-thirds of the Senate with him. President Roosevelt, with a Senate largely (though not wholly, for only a third of the Senate is replaced at each biennial election) elected on the strength of his personal prestige, may reasonably hope to succeed, in spite of the obdurate opposition of Senators Borah and Hiram Johnson and a few others. There is, of course, an American judge, Mr. F. B. Kellogg, on the bench of the Court, for judges are elected by the League, not appointed by Govern meats, so that the formal accession of the United States would have more psychological than practical value. But as evidence of America's support of the rule of law in international affairs and her readiness to move increasingly in the direction of co-operation with other States it will be a step to welcome warmly. The reserva- tion that the League Council shall not without the approval of the United States seek from the Court an advisory opinion on any question in which " the United States has Or claims an interest-" practically' does no more than put the United States in the same position as any meniber of the Council, and it was accepted years ago at Geneva. - ' — -
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