The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-01
Petition Is Presented To Bar Association and Referred
 To Committee
PROMINENT MEMBERS DO NOT DISCUSS MATTER
President Libby of the Association seems Not to Attach Much ImpOr- tance to the Petition ms the
 Matter Is Not New

Chattanooga, August 31.-Lawyers in at- tendance on the meeting of the American Bar association here were astonished at the publication in an afternoon paper of the report that sensational charges had been preferred in the association against Joseph H. Choate of New York, former ambassador to Great Britain.
 All agree that the charges have been made at least twice before in meetings of the association, but most of the dele- gates were in ignorance of their presenta- tion at today's session.
 George W~9Chamlee of Tennessee, on the floor of the convention, today an- nounced that he had a petition to offer. President Libby replied that the petition would be received. This petition, which was received without being read in the convention, contained the charges against MT. Choate, preferred by James R. Watts of New York city.
 This is actually the extent to which the matter was carried, and the contents of the petition were not khown until read by the members of the afternoon paper. The charges have not been presented to the grievance committee; in fact, the grievance committee has had no meeting here, as there were no grievances to come before them. They are but two mem bers of the committee present, and they have heard nothing of the alleged charges.
 The members present are Fred Lehman of St. Louis and George R. Peck of Chi cago.
 President Libby was asked tonight for a statement in regard to the matter. He replied:
 There is no reason for me to discuss this affair, as there is no such question before the association
 Secretary George W. Whitlock of the American Bar association declined to dis cuss the matter in any manner.
 An advance copy of the petition was handed the evening paper by Nil Chamlee and the matter therein was used for pubii- cation. This carried the first intelligence of the contents of the petition to the members of the Bar association, and the matter 1t Is declared, never became public through an officer of the association.
 MT, Chamlee could not be found tonight and his versioni of the matter cannot be had.
 Early in the day he declared he wo,i1d not discuss the affair as he had pre- scented the petition and it was now up to the Bar association. It is absolutely certain that the charges have not been TeleTTeQ to lile cOIuHhtttt, anu that they have not been read before the convention. It is also certain that there can be no action of any character on the charges within a year, even should they be taken up by the committee, which in it's present status Is hardly probable.
 These sensational charges allege that Mir. Choate "has violated the confidence of his clients, Jas R. Watts and wife; that he has violated the canons of ethics of American Bar association; has been guilty of divers and many offenses in violation of good morals, fair dealings, and has brought dishonor and disgrace upon the American Bar association of the United States of America"
 Six different charges are contained in the allegations. All are described and made plain in the Ininutest details.
 Secretary George Whitlock of Mary land gave out the following statement:
 "The charges of James R. Watts against Joseph Fl. Choate of New York were submitted to the association by George w. Charnlee of Tennessee without any statement of their nature and were with out reading, referred by President Libby, according to the regular course of busi- ness under the bylaws to the committee on grievances"
 President Charles Libbysof Maine gave out the following statement:
 Under the bylaws of the association the petition of George w. Chamlee of Tennessee was referred at his request to the grievance without their nature being known know nothing whatever of the charges alleged to have been pre- ferred against MT. Choate''