Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-28
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
First General Meeting Of As
ISOLATION Since 1895.
SIGNIFICANT FEATURES
A MASTERLY GRAFTON BY SECRE-
TARY OF WAR TAFT.
Chief Justice Fuller Presides-Mr
Taft Talks Of the Philippines
and It's Future.

TAFT Talks OF the philippines
and It's Future.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, June 2s.-The men,
bers of the Harvard Law School Associa-
ton assembled here today for the first
general meeting since 1895. The occasion
was also of special significance because at
tended by many men prominent throughout
the country. Secretary of War William H.
Taft had accepted an invitation to deliver
the Grafton at the meeting and CHIEF JUS
tice Melville w. Fuller Of the Supreme
Court of the United States was to preside.
The members of the association assembled
in front Of Austin Hall and marched to
Sanders Theater, where the exercises took
place.
Annual Business Meeting.
At the annual business session Chief JUS
tice Fuller, 80. was elected president of the
association. Among the vice presidents
chosen were Richard Olney, 49, of Massa-
chusetts; Simeon E. Baldwin, '63, asso-
ciate justice of the supreme court Of Con-
necticut; Oliver Wendell Holmes, 'G6. asso-
ciate justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States; George Gray, SO. OF Della
ware, justice Of the United States circuit
court, EDWARD ~. w dlCOtt, 10, VI Soioi oAO,
J. Klein, II, Of Missouri, and Robert T.
Lincoln. '65, of Illinois.
r. L. Raymond, '9S, Of Boston, was
chosen secretary, and E. K. Arnold, w, OF
Boston, treasurer.
Secretary of War Taft was unanimously
elected an honorary member of the associa-
ton. Portraits of the late Prof. j. b.
Thayer of the law school and or Proi.
James Barr Ames, the present dean OF the
institution, were presented to the law
school.
In introducing Secretary Taft. Chief JUS
tice Fuller said: ITO a man who comes TO
us with marked success in a political
reer the association extends heartfelt
welcome"
Secretary Taft's Address.
Mr. Taft discussed the relation of the
United States to the Philippines from near
ly every point of view, reviewing events In
the islands from the time when their dis
position was left an open question In the
protocol with Spain to the present day,
and declaring his ideas to the future.
Gould we have given the islands back
to Spain?" said Mr.. Taft. with our con-
arms furnished by US, Aguinaldo had raised
an army which assisted us in investing
Manila and In its capture, and winch, our
ing the suspension of hostilities had gone
on driving the Spaniards out Of their In
terror posts. We were, in sense, allies
of .Aguinaldo and his followers, united for
the purpose of driving Spain out of the
Philippines; they to avoid further oppres-
sion by Spain. to cripple our enemy by
taking what he had. 1t was our destruc-
ton of the fleet in Manila bay that broke
the power and prestige of Spain in the is
lands and on this Aguinaldo builded in his
subsequent conquests of other points in the
archipelago; but for more than five months
our action was joint. To desert him as an
ally, to restore to Spain Manila, which was
the key of the islands, and thus enable
Snain n drive him Ia ok into the interior
and finally dispense. his forces, would have
been violating an obligation which the cir
cumstances Of our joint action created and
would doubtless have subjected the islands
to another and bloody war.
Gould we have taken the islands from
Spain and then have turned them over to
Aeuinaldo and his government? Were we
under obligation to do so? Aguinaldo
claimed that Dewey agreed on behalf of
the United States that we would aquiesce
in the independence of the islands, and
that Pratt, consul at Singapore, and Wild
man, consul a Hong Kong, did the same
thing. Neither Admiral Dewey nor Pratt
nor Wildman had any authority to make
such an agreement More than this, Ad-
miral Dewey, Consul Pratt and Consul
Wildman denied that any such statement
or promises had been made, and now, in
the third place, a document has come to
light, signed by Mabini, as Aguinaldo's
secretary of state, containing secret in
structions to two ENJOYS in respect to ne
gotta tons with General Otis, in which oc-
ours the statement that the United States
and Aguinaldo had made no agreement but
had merely united with a common purpose
to drive Spain ont of the islands. Aguinal-
do knew that 1t was for the government
at Washington to decide what was to be
done with the islands. He was so advised
by General Anderson, and although General
Anderson expressed doubt as to Americas
holding the islands contrary to a former
policy of having no colonies, he had no
promise or guaranty and left the matter to
higher authority.
A fair review of the evidence shows that
Aguinaldo was not msled and that the re-
fusal. of the United States to turn over the
islands was not the act of perfdy and
treachery which certain of our fellow cfti-
Zens at one time seemed delighted to call
1T. This view is corroborated by the signed
proceedings of the junta at Hong Kong, to
which AgufnaldO was party, in which the
policy agree to, that Aguinaldo should
go with Dewey, should persuade him to fur
nish him arms with which to drive out the
Spaniards, and then if the Americans did
not leave and surrender the islands that
the arms obtained from the Americans
should be used to drive them out of the is
lands, too. This does not show Agunaldo
to have been led on by promises of indie
pendence into a course which he would
not have taken but for the promises. 1t
shows that he anticipated the reluctance
and refusal of the Americans to abandon
the islands to him, and foresaw as possible
the conflict which ensued."
Analysis of Aguinaldo.
This is Mr.. Taft's analysis of Aguinaldo:
II do not mean to do injustice to Aguin-
aldo / know him. He has been at my
house a number of times. and have been
at his. 1 have talked with him on such
subjects as he was willing to discuss. l Of
fered to appoint him the commission to
visit this country, but he declined. Since
his release. he has been living quietly in
Manila and has conducted himself with dig
nifty and propriety. He was a native Of
the town of Cavite Viejo in the province of
Cavite, a primary school teacher under the
Spanish regime. engaged in teaching Taga-
log He was poorly educated, and speaks
Spanish haltingly. He displayed great brav-
cry in the revolution of 1896 at the head of
the volunteers in attacking a Spanish force
sent to subdue him. He was the first Fill
Pine leader who won a victory for the in
surgents and this made him a hero and
surrounded his name with halo. He con-
tinued resistance to Spanish authority until
in what was called the treaty of Biac-na-