The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-05

cause Of that Circumstance was obliged 20
fee TO this country. IN isL Frederic. vas
born eight years later. At fourteen the
boy entered the arts department o. Co
iumbia College, and az eighteen was
graduated at the head Of MS class. "
This = not a euphemistic phrase In COu-
dert's case; he really won all the scholas-
Tic houors It was possible a that time
fer one student 10 secure
His graduation at the early age OF
eighteen made it possible for him 10 fin
ish his law counse a fun year before he
was Of age. and therefore unable to Sc
cure admittance 10 the bar. But he be
gan active practice in 1855. Immediately
after his twenty-frst birthday. and in a
surprisingly short time had become spe-
cisl counsel for the French government
At first he was retained mainly in extra
dition eases. but his success in these soon
led TO his being employed in more imp0r-
tant matters on behalf Of the country
from which his father had fed. SJiN
later he was employed By the Italian gov
ernment also, both in eXtraditi0n and
other cases, and it was not many years
before his practice on behalf Of foreign
powers included nearly every government
of Europe. Since then decorations have
been conferred upon him By the govern
ments of. Italy and France. but he -
American to the core for all Lnat, anG
has served American interests in the
practice OF his profession as often as thc
interests of foreigners. In no case has
ne appeared in behalf Of a foreign power
against our own government In lSs h.
represented American commerce Al the
sessions Of the International Commercial
f.a.Ha ~ L.
at u second gathering OF that body He
represented the United States govern
ment in the controversy with Great Brit
ain over the seals. in Paris, and has been
retained for our side on several other inn
pOrtant occasions.
Ex-Diplomats in the Profession.
Although the chosen profession Of An
drew ID. White, formerly president Of
Cornell University and present Ambassa-
dor TO Germany, is that OF educator, and
not lawyer, ne may be spoken of as an
authority of the highest Tepute on inter
national law, and more than once when
the question was not diplomatic he has
presented the view OF another govern
mcnt to the authorities Of our own. Mr
White Yas born in the little country town
OF HorAer. in the interior of this State. His
foreign experience began soon after his
graduation from Yale, when he was made
an attache of the American Legation al
St. Petersburg, but his first real training
in international lew did not come till 1871,
five years after he took his seat as pres
ident of Cornell. Then President Grant
sent him TO Santo Domingo as member
of the commission to inquire into the ad-
visibility of anneXing that island TO the
United States. In 1913 White was sent To
Paris on q mission connected with the
exposition there. Since then be has serv-
ed as United States Minister %
Russia, and his present term a.
chief diplomatic representative ot
this government to Berlin is his second.
There is no doubt that big fees a-plenty
would seek him out were he 10 be willing
| to enter upon career in International
! law upon the expiration of his present
ambaSsadOriaI term.
Although the distinction of having the
! largest practice in international law is
awarded to John w. Foster among Amer
leans, the first place among living Ameri-
can authorities thereon is awarded by
many to h. j. Phelps, Minister to Eng
| land in Cleyeland'S 5 first term and for
years a law professor at Yale. His grasp
of international law principles is exceed
technical points and precedents is known
TO be profound, and his methods Of Tea-
| sOning are thoroughly judicial. For these
reasons it is said that he might have a
| Of his cOuntrymen If only he would aC-
| cept it. Perhaps the most important re-
! tainer ever refused by Mr.. Phelps was Of
| fered on one occasion by Great Britain.
when it's government and that Of Portu-
! gal were at odds. Mr.. Phelps career has
( been less eventful than that of any mem
| ber of the profession mentioned In this
article. saving possibly Mr. COudert.
} Phelps began practical life a. a lawyer.
/ He took his professors place at Yale IN
1881. in the fifties he was United States
/ Comptroller of the Treasury. He had no
! foreign experience until after he was o.
/ when President Cleveland sent him to
! the Court Of St. James. Like some 9TH
/ ers among our diplomatic representa-
! tives in England, Mr. Phelps has some
/ rhyming abilities, as IS shown by his
| long-forgotten but somewhat pTofane tri-
/ Olet on Essex Junction, the refrain of
which runs: