Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-20
Strikes Personal Note in Wei
coming American Bar As
sociation Convention.
PREDECESSOR, Mr.. TAFT,
PRESIDES OVER SESSIONS
Allied and Subsidiary Bodies Begin
Meetings at the New Will
lard Hotel.

dent Wilson, the Chief Justice and as.
socfate justices of the Supreme Cour,
! of the United States, members Of the
| cabinet, of the diplomatic corps, and
| OF the chief justices and associate JUS
tices and attorneys general of the
states OF the Union, the American Bal
Association began it's annual conven.
tion in Washington today, to consider
ethical as well as practical problems
affecting all phases of the life of the
nation and of the people.
Former President William H. Taft,
president of the bar association, pre-
held at Memorial Continental Hall, and
President Wilson welcomed the assem-
blage, which included in addition to
those mentioned many other dfstin-
guished members of the bench and bar
from all over the United States. among
them members of the Senate and House
of Representatives, as well as the wOm-
en- of their families.
1t fell to the lot of President Wilson
to strike the most personal note heard
at the opening session of the conven-
ton.
In stirring welcome which some Of
his hearers characterized as 'an invoca-
ton as well as an address," he plead for
the "humanizing of the law in the mu-
nicipal courts of the country. espousing
the cause of the man of humble life.
Applause for the President.
my hope the President said, .is
that being stirred to the depths by the
extraordinary circumstances of the time
in which we live we may recover from
those depths something of a renewal Of
that vision of the law with which men
may be supposed to have started out in
the old days of the oracles who COM
muned with the limitations Of divinity"
Epigrammatic. smiling, he held his
great audience responsive to his every
point. The convention rose to its feet
when he entered and departed, with
applause. and stood, again, although in
the silence of custom, as the members
Of the Supreme Court entered and left.
For Mr.. Taft. as closer acquaintance.
and as the president Of the Bar Asso-
citation. they had more tumultuous
welcome. silenced with bang Of the
gavel and the command for the con-
vention to "be in order"
Mr.. Taft's address as president of the
association followed that Of President
Wilson. When he introduced the Presf-
dent he pledged the earnest gco-operae
tion of the association, and its deepest
confidence in the Presidents ability and
purpose TO guide the ship OF state sale
" through the troubled waters Of the
present international crisis. {.
MI. Taft declared the American
people are back of the President in his
and that he has the confidence Of the
people.
Mr.. Taft asked:
And now that we are discussing
compliance with treaties and the ef-
feet of treaties Of arbitration and of
peace upon the chances Of war. is it
not a good time for us to clean our
own house and put ourselves in q posi-
tion where we can fulfill to the letter
every treaty that we have entered
into"
The convention evidently agreed with
him. in it's applause, in that as well
as in analyses he presented OF the
Clayton antitrust act and the federal
trade commission act recently passed
by Congress.
Mrs. McAdoo Among Audience.
The big audience presented glowing
scene, the somber garb Of most Of the
men being set OF by the colors Of the
hats and gowns of the great number of
women present. Mrs. McAdoo, wife of
the Secretary of Treasury. the daughter
of the President. and Miss Bones. the
Presidents cousin, in mourning cos
tune. were escorted to reserved seats
by DIR. Cary Grayson, U. s. n, to hear
the opening speeches.
President Wilson was escorted to the
convention hall by Simeon E. Baldwin
of Connecticut, Moorfield Storey Of
Massachusetts,, Francis Rawle Of Penn
sylvania, Henry st. George Tucker of
Virginia, Frederick W. Lehman Of
Missouri, Edgar H. Farrar Of Louisiana,
Stephen S. Gregory of Illinois. Frank B.
Kellogg of Minnesota, Frederick e.
Wadhams of New York and George
Whitelock of Maryland.
All the delegates were present at the
main convention gathering place. Me-
mortal Continental Hall, this morning,
but a number of allied and subsidiary
bodies began meetings at the New Will
lard Hotel this afternoon. These in
cluded meetings by the section Of legal
education, the comparative law bureau.
the section of patent, trade mark and
copyright law and the judicial section.
Mr.. Taft delivered Introductory remarks
at these section meetings this after