The Washington herald., 1919-04-01

Of the Presidential campaign of l90s.
He then treated the so-called trust
question with a conciseness. clearness.
persuayiseness and knowledge which
make the equipment OF the really great
lawyer. 1t has been commonly pre-
sumed that II was the keen analyt-
ical quality and knowledge of the law
contained in this Youngstown speech
and the unanswerable argument which
1t embodied which persuaded Mr..
Taft after he became President that
Governor Hughes was admirably
qualified to serve upon the bench OF
the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Judge Hughes Analysis,
! One feature of the address which
pleased many persons was the absence
Of anything like a partisan spirit and
in addition to that any hint of sen,
timentallty or ideaIlsm. 1t was enough
for Judge Hughes for simple ex-
ordium to state that both former
President Taft and President Lowell.
of Harvard, who are in favor of some
kind OF league of nations, We're in
agreement that the covenant which
had now been prepared is defective.
II these two distinguished men VINO
are known to favor an adequate and
Just covenant were able to say in
public that the covenant as now pre-
pered Is defective or imperfect, then
there remains nothing for him to add
by way OF argument upon that point.
Lawyers who have read with care
Judge Hughes address say, without
committing themselves fully in sup
port of his argument, that it reads
like great brief prepared by a
great lawyer. Some have said that
II may be a little too technical for
the common understanding. And
yet no one can carefully read even
the more abstract of the comments
and analyses without perceiying
that this man, perhaps the most
conspicuous citizen now in private
life who has in the past occupied
high public station and narrowly
escaped the Presidency, is in favor
first of a just covenant. and, sec
ond, is convinced that the covenant
as it now stands contains vital de-
fects. and IL submitted with the
treaty OF peace to the Senate of the
United States should not be rati-
fed.
since Judge Hughes spoke in this
way that the address may serve to
influence such amendments or al
terations in the covenant as will
make it certain that the amended
agreement will be acceptable not
only to the Senate but to the people
of the United States.
Looking at the address from an
other point of view, perhaps the
professional point, 1t confirms the
impression which was made when
Judge Hughes said some time ago
that he would speak when he was
able to prepare an address upon the
league of nations. That impression
that he would concentrate all the
powers of his mind and bring to
bear all his resources as a lawyer
so that he could at last formulate
an opinion or prepare a brief, so to
speak, which would be recognized
as well worthy Of the vitality inn
portant subject. Lawyers say that
the address carries every evidence
OF profound study, OF scrupulous
examination of the subject from
every point of view, and in addition
to that great care in the prepara-
tion of 1t SO far as the wording is
concerned. 1t is the hope that this
address may he of some avail IN,
Paris, especially as il is without
trace of sentiment or Of any IDEAL
ism other than that which justiAes
the hope that some covenant can be
perfected which will tend to-
ward establishing permanent peace
Throughout the world and good will
between all the nations
HOLLAND