The Washington herald., 1908-01-25
OUR PUBLIC MEN
PRAISED BY BRYCE
Continued from page One.

cured, so your system, IN establishing
stability by an elaborate system of checks
and balances. may have sacrificed some
of the motive power required TO push
| legislation forward.
Apart. however from these large ques-
tions, which I indicate in passing. there
I later may be improvements consistent
with your legislation and with our legis-
/ lation. 1t is the experience Of all civilized
countries that scientific method. which
/ has been applied to everything else, also
needs 10 be applied more fully and sedu-
/ lously to the details OF constitutional and
political Organizatio than is now the
/ case.
/ III one may judge from the recent
actions of your States, there are certain
! changes already in progress. The sittings
/ Of legislatures have been made less fire.
quent and shorter, and as sessions grow
shorter, State constitutions grow longer" "
MIR. Choate's Address.
/ Mr. Choates address before the after
noon session was in the nature OF de-
tense Of the second Hague conference.
Since it devolved upon him as president
/ of the association to make an address,
said Mr. Choate. he felt that he must
! take the opportunity to correct the gen
/ eral misappreheGsion concerning the
fruits of the assemhlage Of diplomats
/ that met al The Hague last summer.
/ zone Of the reasons I wish to speak
about The Hague conference" said he
/ "Is that the general attitude Of the
worlds press was one of beIttlement Of
/ the work accomplished by that great body
OF men. Because we did not do every
thing. the impression has gone abroad
/ that we Gid nothing.
Though there may have been political
motives that we could not discern behind
its animus, the attitude of the London
Times toward the delegates 10 the confer
ence was especially hostile 1t character
/ lied Us. al the cnd as a lot Of second
class politicians. who spent most of our
/ time trying 70 cheat one another. / be-
/ lieve that the people OF Europe and Of
/ this country forgot that II was a confer
/ ence. not a parliament, that met at The
Hague. Franklin said at the Federal
/ convention that drew up the Constitution
Of this country. we are here TO confer,
not TO contend. His words ft the spirit
and the purpose Of The Hague confer
ence.
/ THE way TO measure the work that
/ has been done by the conference is 10
/ compare its position at the time Of meet
/ ing and its position az the time IT ad-
joarned. Many propositions were advanced
upon which progress was made, even If a
/ final decision was not gained Many of
/ the propositions that were advanced. if
not settled there, win go 20 the councils
OF the various nations which sent dele
/ gares-aDd aH the nations save Algeria
and Abyssinia were there represented.
Ee Reviews Discussion.
Mr.. Choats reviewed the discussion that
hinged upon the proposition advanced hy
( England and Germany spontaneously.
/ concerning the institution Of an appeal
court Of the nations for the adjudication
/ Of prize cases iu time OF war lie said
that when a compromise between the
views of the two powers was reached and
/ the other nations acee5ed to the plan, the
establishment OF the court became prRcti-
calIy an established fact
"a second question upon which we
/ all agreed" continued Mr CHoate. was
/ concerning the resort To force for the
+ collection of contraetlal debts on the
part OF any nation. When 1t was de-
cfdod that such resort should only fol-
/ low unsuccessful appeal 90 arbitration a
great step iu the direction of peace was
/ ...-.- .rtt- zter.-.r., gi4 49, t..,..
|'tN1.-' .''-' 'o --'. '-'' -'''''' ~ -.,''
/ iepuoi-ls, b-l l- p1l d ptITleI up against
+ a great range OF subjects tnat have in
/ the past been provocative cf war
/ 4 cannot say that the decision Of the
+ con fereuCe on this point had any special
bearing on the Monroe doctrine but IL
certainly supported that doctrine In that
/ II is an advance tn the idea OF hands
on. for strong nations trying TO ooerce
the weak. Although IN no way recog-
hlllon OF the Monroe doctrine Just so
/ long as We can make II worthy or re-
spect' the step was s.sHlneant
Mr. Choate told OF failure OF the propo-
sitlon put forth by the American rapre-
ssntarives 7b0ut immunity Of an euer7y-'z
goods in urf,ara bottome ~ gsa 5rrfr,
+fr,. 20 - ~. .,,.. - - -
'-'' as
i"so'S0 ''-0 p''JIe'' S'-i' me- ou'' ac'lis
/ lhdef instructions from secretary Root
the American delegates dld not press
tner point 10 the limit OF possible lrrita-
( olhty.
Greater progress, even, was made in
the direction or hsutuung general arbi-
tIatIon ana special arbitration court Of
all the nations. his progress was par
tcularIy gratifying, said the speaker, in
the lght or the declaration Of the first
Hague conference, that the general arbi-
traJlon was absolutely beyond the bounds
of practical discussion