West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-03-09

Has Elihu Root ever read The
iague convention of 1907 respecting
the rights and duties of neutral pow
RS and persons in case of war on
and?
We are impelled to raise this ques-
ion by the extraordinary statement
made by Mr.. Root in his war speech
before the Republican state conven-
tion:
The invasion OF Belgium was
breach of contract with us for the
maintenance of law of nations which
was the protection of our peace, and
The interest which sustained the con
tract justified an objection to it's
breach"
Mr. Root was Secretary OF State
when this convention was framed. and
he was the most eminent member OF
the Senate committee on foreign rela-
tions when the German troops invaded
Belgium. We have already discussed
his strange silence, extending over a
period of one year six months and I3
days, during which he never referred
to the invasion of Belgium. We are
now compelled to believe that he never
read the convention that he describes
as a contract
The Hague declaration that "the ter
ritory of neutral powers is inviolable"
was never contract. II contained
no provisions for its enforcement.
When the United States ratified that
convention 1t merely gave its word not
to invade the territory of neutrals, but
1t assumed no responsibility in the
way OF preventing less conscientious
nations from invading the territory of
neutrals. And of all the governments
that ratified the convention, not one
las ever protested against the invas-
on of Belgium or interpreted such in
'asion as breach of contract.
The convention about which Mr..
loot wakes so eloquent does not exist
relation to this war. II nulliRed
tself by the terms OF Article 20. which
provide that
THE provisions Of the present con-
ention do not apply except as be-
ween contracting parties, and then
only If all the belligerents are parties
70 the convention"
Serbia never ratified the convention.
nor did Great Britain. or the coun-
frfoa fhof boyo o,f,,o o1.. t.4- -
war, neither Italy nor Turkey nor
Bulgaria ever ratified IT, The con
yention that Mr.. Root describes as
contract is neither a contract nor
convention. II is nothing. n the
United States were forced into the
war we should not be obligated to
respect any OF its provisions. It does
not apply"
Mr. Root is a very able internation-
al lawyer. II Is unthinkable that ne
should have deliberately sought ta de-
ceiye the country about the meaning
Of this convention, or that for the pal
.ry purpose Of making partisan CAPT
al he should have undertaken 20 be
'mirch the honor OF his own country
The obvious explanation is that he
ever read the convention. or II he
cad 1t he had forgotten it's provisions.
vidently he carelessly accepted
'heodore Roosevelts magazine art-
les as statements of fact. a bIunder
yhich might be natural enough TO
leorge w. Perkins but which can
hardly be excused I'm Elihu Root.
The kind Of legal advice that Mr.
Root gives to the American people I'm
Interpreting this Hague convention is
not the kind Of advice that Mr.. Root
gives to his corporation clients. 9th
erwise he could never have earned a
commanding reputation at the bar
Yet should not a great lawyer who
Is seeking the Presidency be az ex-
act and scrupulous in his statements
Of law as a great lawyer who Is seek
ing merely a feet New York World