Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-20
WILSON SPEAKS
TO DELEGATES Of
BAR ASSOCIATION
Asks Cooperation of Lawyers
to Maintain Present Status
of international Law.


directly referring to the European
war, President Wilson today. in well
coming delegates to the annual con-
Vention of the American Bar Assoc
citation, asked the cooperation of that
organization in maintaining internal
tional law in the present situation.
President Wilson was introduced by
former President Taft, president of
the Bar Association. Chief Justice
White, all supreme court justices and
many members of the cabinet. diplo-
matte corps and State department
We're present.
Establishment Of the character and
purposes of the United States in tho
war situation was the theme of Presi-
dent Wilson.
You can establish the case OF your
client by the character, conduct and
appearance Of your witnesses" said
the President $50 can you establish
the purposes and character of ma
ton"
Mr.. Taft, in introducing the Presi-
dent, pledged the association in as
sisting President Wilson in "voicing
the serious present hour"
Power to Enforce Treaties.
The United States should draw from
the European war a lesson regarding
Its own conduct, said Mr.. Taft In his
address before the association. In
discussing the charges of violation of
treaties by European nations, Mr..
Taft said that this country should
put itself In such a position that 1t
could fulfill to the letter the obliga-
tons imposed by its treaties. and he
recommended legislation to that end.
In his address, delivered as presi-
dent of the American Bar Associa-
ton, Mr.. Taft also said that the Pro-
grossiVe party was departing from
''the preposterous nostrum' of the
recall of judicial decisions because 1t
apparently had become burden to
the party.
In speaking of the European war,
Mr.. Taft said that President Wilson
should have the warmest approval
and sincerest cooperation In his eff
forts to maii .ain the strict neu-
trality of this country.
1--WE are the principal nation" he
continued, land l might say almost
the only nation, of the Christian
world not so related TO the struggle
that both sides may really regard us
as disinterested friends. It is our
highest duty, and the President
inQASS pain MS 0PpA bClHtlO1l VI LHiSl
not to sacrifice and destroy this
great leverage for successful medi-
alton, when the opportunity arises,
by ill-advised and premature judg-
ments upon the merits. We must
hold our tongues to be useful TO man
kind"
Urges Passage OF Statute.
Concerning this country's obliga-
tons under Its treaties, Mr. Taft
said. ,
And now that we are discussing
compliance with treaties and the eff
feet of treaties of arbitration and of
peace upon the chances of war, Is it
| not q good time for us to clean our
own house and to put ourselves in a
| position where we can fulfill to the
| letter every treaty we have entered
| into? We have made many treaties
of friendship and peace--indeed,
treaties with all the world-in which
we have assured to aliens, subjects
or citizens of the other party to tho
treaty, resident within our borders.
due process of law in protection OF
life. liberty and property. But we
now withhold, however, from the
same authority that makes the treaty
power to fulfill its obligations. A
statute of q dozen lines would put
~ l1IO LIS DOfSi III THO IftblubHl W
institute judicial proceedings, civil
and criminal, in courts of the United
States to punish a violation of the
treaty rights of aliens and enable him
to use the civil and military execu-
tive arm of the government to pro-
tect against their threatened invasion.
In our past experience we realize
that mob violence committed through
race prejudice against aliens will
never be punished by State authority
and there Is nothing that high
strung people-and 1t is peoples now
who largely control the matter of
war and peace-resents SO much as
the mistreatment of their fellow
countrymen living under the flag of
a foreign government that has stipu-
lated and pledged its honor to give
them protection"
The speaker denied that the grant
ing to the President of such powers
as he outlined would be unconstitu-
tional.
Mr. Taft said there were indications
that there had been distinct falling
off in support Of tho proposals for re-
call OF judges and of Judicial decisions,
These proposals, he said, were incor-
porated In the platform of the Pro-
gressive party. whose leader felt
called upon to declare that they were
the rock upon which 1t was founded,
ut would appear" MIR, Taft con-
tinued, that the party which fathered
these proposals now finds that instead
of being the rock on which II is
founded, it Is, to change the meta
phor, the rock on which II founders.
Certainly 1t seems wise TO its leaders
to ignore this part OF their original
an indication that 1t has
ceased to be vote-getting and, indeed,
has become a burden to any party |
that assumes to press It,"
Turning to the antitrust legisla-
ton of the Wilson administration, Mr..
Taft analysed the trade commission
act and the Clayton act.
"In SO far as the field of general |
Interstate trade Is within the prac-
teal range of supervision and regula- |
ton" he said, "the machinery adopt !
ed, 1t seems to me, Is as effective as
any could be-" With one minor ex-
ception. he added, the field of Illegal
and criminal effort In respect to re-
straints OF interstate commerce Is not
enlarged under the new acts, which
he characterized as In many respects
merely deciaratory of existing law
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