Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-29
Society of International Law
Discusses Question.
TALKS BY PROMINENT MEN
The Relative Value Of Authorities
Subject of Jackson H. Ralston.
TO PRESIDENT TAFT
Elected Honorary President at
the Meeting Today at the New
Willard-Banquet Tonight.


Discussion Of the right, duties and
burdens of aliens under national and
international law, "The Primary Sources
Of International Obligations" and 1.-The
Relative Value Of Authorities" together
with the election Of officers and OF
Prof. Ernest Nys, judge of the court
OF appeals Of Brussels, Belgium, pro.
lessor In the University Of Brussels, a
member. OF the permanent court at TIL,
Hague and a distinguished student and
writer upon international law, as ar
honorary member occupied the session
of the American Society of Interna-
tional Law at the New Willard today.
The fifth annual meeting Of the society
will close with the annual banquet al
the New Willard this evening, at which
Senator Root will preside, and President
Taft. the Japanese ambassador, Chiel
Justice White Of the Supreme Court Of
the United States. the chief justice o.
Canada and Judge Martin A. Knapp o,
the commerce court and Representative
David j. Foster will speak.
Taft Honorary President.
The election of officers resulted as fol-
lows: Honorary president, President VIII
liam Howard Taft: president, Senator
Root Of New York; vice presidents, Chic,
Justice Waite, Justice William R. Day
Secretary Knox. Andrew Carnegie, 10.
seph H. Choate, John ". Foster, Judge
George Gray. Gov. John ". Gri9gs. Rep.
resentative William w. Morrow, Forme,
Secretary Of State Richard Olney. Gen
Horace Porter, Former Secretary Oscar
s. Straus. Senator Shelby NJ. Cullom
Secretary Of War Jacob M, Dickinson
and James B. Angel.
Executive council 1911 group. Repre-
sentative Richard Bartholdt. Gen. George
Gov. A. ]. Montague. Rear Admiral
Charles II. Stockton, Charles B. Warren,
Senator John Sharp Williams and Prof.
Theodore 8. Woolsey;. 1912 group. Charles
p. Anderson, Charles Henry Butler, Prof.
George w. Kirchway. Robert Lansing.
Ralston, James Brown Scott and Prof.
George G. Wilson: 1913 group. Prof w.
X. Manning, Senator A. o. Bacon, Frank
c. Partridge, Prof. Leo s. Rowe, Frederic
r. Coudert, Everett P. Wheeler, Edwin
DENLY and Alpheus H. Snow.
Executive committee-Senator Root.
Judge Gray, Prof. Kirchwey, Robert
lansing, Prof. Moore, Prof. Wilson and
FORMER Secretary Straus of the Depart
n1ent Of Commerce and Labor. Offlcefs
Foster, chairman: James Brown Scott.
recording secretary: Charles Henry But
Ter, corresponding secretary, and Chand-
Ter p. Anderson, treasurer.
Howard Thayer Kingsbury, Prof. N.
Dwight Harris, 8. B. Crandau, Lawrence
b. Evans, Prof. William !. Hull and
Frank C. Partridge.
Relative Value Of Authorities.
Upon the topic 1.-THE Relative Value OF
Authorities" jackson H. Ralston OF this
city. after citing the contention Of Open
helm, who limited the sources of inter-
national law to custom and convention,
and the distinction made by Merignhac
between custom and convention as direct
sources, the decisions and writings Of in
ternationalists as indirect sources. MIR.
Ralston declared that he considered -
perfect parallelism exists between the
growth of international and other forms
Of law. and that conventions, as the term
is used in International law, are the ex-
act -correlatives of statute law, custom
common law of the individual nations,
which is sometimes based upon real u.s.
age, and sometimes law made by the
Judges"
The speaker discussed the various
sources from which International law
placing conventional provisions among
the most important and the decision OF
The Hague tribunal as perhaps equally
conclusive. AS to the latter, he found
the courts. through the DEGREES OF the
judges. are the source OF law. 1t will
be true internationally-is becoming
true in fact-that International COM
missions and tribunals are furnishing
us the positive sources Of international
law.
For we have absolutely no reason to
suppose that there is any intrinsic differ
ence between the basis or future methods
of development Of different brances Of thi:
science.
Relation Of Men to Men.
Each branch has the common basis OF
the relation OF men to men; each must be
worked out by the same instrumentality
-men-and is made known through the
like material, agencies. agreements, prac-
tees, opinions OF writer's and or men In
positions Of authority
He found that the cOdifiers must have
q very extensive and preferably very
practical experience covering the whole
field Of international law, and they must
possess a genius given to but few-tha1
Is, q mental penetration which will en-
enable them m the face OF contradictions
and uncertainties. In the mass of rele
want and irrevevant material. to uncover
the principles which bind all things to-
gether and despite all confusion mus
and hereafter shall control"
Advantage With Aliens.
Frederic r. Coudert Of New York, ir
discussing the rights and remedies OF
aliens in national courts before the so
country was frequently I'm a more advan
taseous position than the citizen through
his right under the Constitution to SUE
in the federal courts. The citizen canno
sue in the federal courts unless the de-
PENDANT is a nonresident of the state
but the alien may sue the citizen Of an,
state in the proper federal court. although
they both reside in the same jurisdiction
There is a very large class OF persons
under our nag who may not have thetl
day in the federal courts" said MIR
Coudert. 1.-The inhabitants Of our re
Gently acquired Spanish possessions have
been expressly refused citizenship b,
Congress.
The treaty relegated their politica
status to that body which has persistent!
refused to recognize them as Americas
citizens. To contend that they are aliens
is absurd. for alienage Is predicated upOl
allegiance to q power other than tn
United States, and this anomalous peopl,
have certainly been deprived Of their al
legiance to Spain, and cannot and do no
profess any other allegiance than that o
the United States.
TT is thus apparent that the people o
these uhincorpOrated territories are in al
nn0itfnn n