21 AUGUST 1926, Page 23

THE WORLD COURT. By Antonio Sanchez de Busta. mante. (Macmillan.

12s. Od. net.)—The Cuban jurist, Senor de Bastamante, has written an excellent book on The World Court, tracing the origin of the idea, explaining its constitution and recording in some detail what it has done in the past four years. The author, himself a judge of the Court, speaks with authority and he has no difficulty in showing that the Permanent Court of International Jus- tice has already justified its existence. The fifteen cases in which, up to last year, it had given advisory opinions or definite decisions, were not indeed of great importance. But they were all troublesome and complicated, and some pf them might have led to serious difficulties if not settled.