Woodrow Wilson's Case for the League of Nations

What it is

This book, compiled by Hamilton Foley with Wilson's approval, gathers Wilson's official explanations of the League of Nations covenant and the Treaty of Versailles that he gave to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the American public in 1919. It was published in 1923 by Princeton University Press.

Why it matters

The volume shows how Wilson tried to defend and explain his vision for the League of Nations after World War I, at a time when the Senate was debating whether the United States should join. Because Wilson approved the compilation, it reflects how he wanted his arguments remembered.

Look closer

• Why might Wilson have wanted his explanations collected and published this way?
• What does the choice to compile his speeches and testimony suggest about the controversy surrounding the League?
• What questions might this source leave unanswered about why the Senate ultimately rejected the treaty?