In 1923, many of the league's members were surveyed and asked to give their opinions on the success of the body. the answers indicated that the members had a strong belief that the league was a powerful mechanism for the settlement of international disputes and had already been successful. however, these members indicated that the league could only continue to function effectively if there was agreement among the great powers. a british intellectual, gilbert murray, included the united states in this group. murray's opinion was that if the united states joined the league and fully participated in its goals, the great powers of europe and asia would follow. this would lead to the league being "made" for all time. however, murray failed to understand the thinking of the average american and their elected representatives in congress. the country had only reluctantly been drawn into the first world war, and most citizens had no desire for a repeat. the biggest obstacle to the united states' joining the league was article x of its charter.