The morning journal-courier., 1908-06-23

! NtsAAN hef'l lllN FllAf NANh N'f''fN'N' | tive Williams in his campaign.
 The other contestants were Donald A. Adams of New York city, who spoke on Federalism of Today Arthur w. Blaekmnn of New Haven, who spoke on Roger B Taney"; and Charles Nelson Harmon of Frankfort, Del, who also spoke on Federalism of Today" The appointment of contestants Is based upon tho merits of written ora lions submitted to a committee Of award, SO that to compete In the con- test is in itself a high honor
 The auditorium of the law school building was crowded long before the scheduled hour for the exercises to commence IL was nearly an hour af- Ter half-past two however, before the graduating class preceded by tho facul- fly filed in The delay was caused by the dinner of the Alumni association at the University Dining hall at which were the seniors and the members of the faculty besides the members of the Alumni association
 Enthusiasm marked the dinner by tho presence of William II Taft. He spoke briefly, his remarks being mere fly felIctous concerning tho occasion, Senator John C. Spooner of Wisconsin also spoke, ns did Judge John P, Clarke of tho New York supreme court Att torney William N. McNulty of New York city, one of the hest known of the younger alumni, was the only oth- or speaker
 When Secretary Taft entered tho auditorium at Hendrie hnll, nearly al the conclusion of tho exercises, the audience with ono accord arose In their seats and rousing Yale cheer echoed through the building for him. He was accompanied by President Arthur Y, Hadley who made the announcement : of the various prizes In tho school. The address to the graduating class which preceded this event was deliver cd by the Honorable John W. Foster. | LID, His subject was The Evolution of International Law"
 He prefaced his address by some personal incidents while q student of the Harvard Law school fifty years ago, Illustrating the greater attention shown to the study of International law at the present day and then dis cussed the authoritative character of international law
 . After a brief review of the imper-
 feet rules of customs governing the relations of the ancient nations and following the fall of the Roman em- pIre, he referred to the events of the , sixteenth century and the influence of Charles " and Martin Luther, and fixed the beginning of modern inter national law with the publication of Congress of Westphalia. He then traced the evolution or growth of in- ternational law by A number of illus trations. Citation was made of its salutary influence in ameliorating the seventies of war. It's effect In modi- I lying the rules relating to commerce and especially to Jurisdiction over the , ocean; the decay of old rules as In , that of the war of 17b6. and territor- ial rights by discovery and coloniza- tion. The growth of the principle of neutrality was traced in some detail and the conspicuous part taken by the United States was shown, the history
 of the four rules of the Congress of
 Paris of 1856 was given; the modii- cations of international law to suit changed conditions was illustrated by the change which the common law principle of riparian rights has under gone In the United States.
 But the chief part of the address was devoted to that branch of inter
 est advance has been made. the ad.
 justment of controversies among na. tions by arbitration. The United
 States from the beginning of Its his.
 tory has been conspicuous advocate / of this method, and has been party
 to more than eighty arbitrations with
 various nations, the country witl
 which we have most frequently re.
 sorted to arbitration being Great Brit
 ain. with which in the past hundred ! years we have submitted almost ever, 2 imaginable question which may arise between nations, including those in
 volving territorial rights and nationa
 honor. The defeat in the system oi
 arbitration Is the absence of per
 manent tribunal to which tho nations
 can appeal The establishment o
 such court was near a realization a
 the last Hague conference and Mir
 Poster was hopeful that 1t would ye
 be esta ablished at no distant day. H. - contended that 1t was through sucl
 permanent tribunal that the diti
 cult question of the limitation of arm
 aments might he accomplished. Al
 the nations come to have conf'denc, x in such tribunal. the urgent neces 'f sity for vast armaments would b' T diminished, and in time the nations !. of the world would more and more re
 sort to this peaceful method of ad
 justing their differences
 MT. Foster closed his address by Al
 appeal for the support of arbitration to lawyers, whose profession had 1t origin in the suppression of persona
 violence and bloodshed and the estab . lishment of courts and laws for tn
 protection of life and property an,
 the determination of private rights -1 Three powerful influences, he said | were to-day arrayed against war commerce, democracy and Christian | ity. Notwithstanding the presen | manifestation of a martial spirit. ther | Is a sober sentiment of justice an, | right, and the slow but steady evolu | ton of international law ia bringin | the nations more and more to a high | CT standard of duty, which is an aug ury of the eventual triumph of req son and the reign of peace.
 | There were several musical seec | tions by an orchestra before the awar | of honors and prizes and the announce