New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-20
Ex President Deplores
Tinkering with Constitn-
ton at This Time.
MEETS WITH BAR
ASSOCIATION TO-DAY
Judge Holt Demands stoppage
of Destruction Of Merchant
Vessels During War.

" abhiH3toHJ Octs lps Hc oPo""n
OF the annual meeting Of the American
Bar Association here tomorrow was
preceded to-day by the sessions Of a
half-dozen subsidiary organizations
attracted to Washington by the con-
venng Of the parent body. These IN
cluded the section on legal education
the National Association Of Attorneys
General and the associations on mari
time and military laws. They drew
hundreds of lawyers from sll parts OF
the country to Washington to-day.
The programme Of the Association on
Military Law was curtailed by the de-
cision of several army officers not TO
read papers, in view Of President Will
sons recent orders against officers
commenting on the European war
Former President Taft, president OF
the Bar Association, will preside and
make the address at the opening of
that body's meeting tomorrow. Other
speakers will include Senator Root
Senator Charles Fitzpatrick. Chief JUS
tice of Canada, and Ambassador Naen,
of the Argentine Republic.
Mr.. Taft addressed the commission
on uniform state laws to-day, urging
reform in marriage and divorce laws
through uniform state legislation. ne
condemned the "looseness with which
the marriage tie is looked upon IN
many states"
Mr.. Taft also placed himself on rec
ord as fatty opposed to "tnkering
with the federal Constitution under
present conditions.
Too Many Cranks, Says Taft.
81 am not in favor of any amend
ment to the Constitution" he said en-,
phatically, mot because it doesn't need
them. for believe that In the light OF
our acquaintance with its workings we
might make some minor changes
which would facilitate it's operation
But | am not in favor of tinkering with
that great governmental instrument a.
a time when there are so many eranks
and SO many movements looking TOWARD
its total abolition"
Reforms on international law re-
sulting from the European war were
predicted by Judge George {, Holt, on
New York, in an address before me
Maritime Law Association OF the
United States, of which ne IS pres'-
( dent.
Judge Holt declared that a deter
! mined effort should be made after the
war to put stop forever 10 the capt
ure and destruction of merchant yes
sells. In the Crimean war. ne salo
France and England allowed Russian
ships six weeks to depart from por's
! unmolested after the declaration oil
war; Japan was allowed seven DAYS
and Russia two in the Russo-Japanese
war, and Spain thirty days and the
United States five during the Spanish
American war.
Universal Rspine.
But no sooner was this war de,
clared," he added. than the universal
rapine began. II is reported that Ires'
Britain detained ninety-hve German
vessels which were in British ports and
Germany detained seventy British yes
sells in German ports at the outbreas
of the war. All neutral ports IN al
parts of the world are crowded with
/ idle ships of the belligerents. They lie
moored to the wharfs. their business is
ruined, and the commerce OF the world
! is stopped in obedience to that relic OF
barbarism. the rule of international
/ law that capture and destruction of an
enemy's merchant vessels are light
mate in war"
Another matter which almost GER
tainly will become the subject of inter
national consideration, Mr.. Holt SAID.
! is the protection of fishing vessels an
small boats engaged in local trade,
The entire question Of the use OF
mines, the speaker suggested, PROBABLY
would be considered anew by the ma
/ tions after the war. Floating mines
/ in the North Sea and the Adriatic. NJ
said. had done much more damage tc
merchant vessels than TO warships, and
he pointed out that for two years after
the war between Russia and Japar
/ little Chinese junks were blown up IN
Eastern waters by contact mines
Honor for MarcOni.
As a result of Mr.. Hollis comment
that the great maritime nations mac
conferred no honor whatever upor
William Mareoni for perfectng tn'
wireless telegraph, the association
elected Mr.. Marconi an honorary mem
Der.
Al u time hhti hch oAN
every form of honor from govern
ments for their detestable work in In
venting military implements Of de
struction," Mr.. Holt had said. ut II
high time to honor man whose OBJ
jert had been to save and not destroy
human life"
Robert NJ. Hughes, OF Virginia, ad
dressed the section of legal education
on "The Historical Evolution OF th'
Board of Law Examiners" ]. Maurice
Wormser, of New York, read pspel
on bar examinations, in which h'
analyzed the questions propounded a
the last June examinations IN twenty
five states, and arrived at the con
clusion that too many dehnltlal an5
international questions were asked
President Charles A. Boston, OF Ne"
York, commenting on the latter paper
told Of "a test on the value Ut iniorma
tional questions applied to a eatherlnG
of the most successful members OF th'
association. Only two or three wer!
certain how Lowell spelled "Bigio
in writing the "Biglow Papers HI
said. and not one could tell the name
- he Republican candidate for Vice