The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-18
Hear First Hand
Impressions Of War
Bar Association Is Highly En-
tertained At Its Closing
Banquet.

od1lQ UCb.
Members OF the Virginia State Bar
association, at their annual banquet
last night in the jefferson hotel.
which marked the close OF the con-
vention held here for the last three
DAYS, heard frst-hand impressions OF
| the war from many angles by subjects
| OF Great Britain and Belgium, and
received a general resume OF the sit
uation by a native OF ireland. These
speakers were Thomas Skerhill. poet
! soldier OF Australia, who was in some
I Of the flercest fighting Of the whole
| conflict. DR. Alfred Nerinex, profess
sor of law at the IIouvain University.
| and resident OF that city during oc-
cupancy by the Germans. and DR.. NC
! Mutt McElroy, whose eloQuence has
| previously charmed the members of
| the association.
President Lucien II. Cooke acted as
| toast master, and introduced the
speakers in his inimitable manner.
| The addresses were heard with great
| interest, being received with hearty
| applause.
DR.. McE1roy. who was the first
SPSdhcI, tplu VI t1lt sISit oppOA tobA' -
there was for America to help other
nations in their struggle to establish
! true democratic governments. The
war would not be over until, this was
accomplished throughout the world.
| Having travelled extensively In China
| he was able to give a true picture or
conditions in that country. which is
| looking to America, as the acme or
all that is good and desirable In gov
eminent
| He declared that in the future we
should Americanize every immigrant
| who came to our shorca, or send them
! back to their homes. This country
| should be "All American" On the
other hand. he said. we should not
attempt to Americanize the oriental
countries, but should help them work
out their own destiny.
! Referring to the Irish situation
| DR. McElroy said the only remedy he
! saw would be to build an automobile
road around the Emerald Isle, on
which the rish-Americans would set
the pace. He thought the trouble
over there were principally temper
mental ones, which were the inhrit-
| anc of a bad past
| Some interesting tales OF the occu-
| pancy OF Belgium by the Germans
were recounted by DIR. Nerrinxc. who
welcomed Brand Whitlock. American
| Ambassador to Belgium, on his visit
! to Louvain just before Its capitulation
to the Huns to offer American sym
pathy and help to the stricken peo-
| pie.
The Germans violated the princi-
7 pies OF common and international law.
as well as all other rules OF civiliza-
ton said the professor. in giving as
| an Illustration their peculiar def1ni-
ton of high treason. They claimed
that Belgians who had been giving
military information to their allies
were guilty of his crime, one pun
| ishable by death. Such an absurd
ruling had never before been adj
vanced by any nation Treason. as
| everyone knew was betraying one's
| own country.
| The temporary conquerors OF the
Belgians made them rebuild their
shattered homes, he said. in order to
destroy the evidences OF the Germans
crime. Concluding his remarks DR..
Nerincx expressed the thanks OF Bel
gium@ for the aid and comfort OF
America both before and after she
entered the conflict, and said there
was a feeling of gratitude in the
hearts of his countrymen for this
country which would never die out
| His audience then drank toast tc
tho kind and queen OF Belgium.
One OF the most dramatic and pas
sionate accounts Of the war. from ar
eye witness and active participatoI
was given by Mr.. Skeykill. He was
made blind for two years by big
shell bursting directly In front Of him
and was recently cured by American
| doctors.
The Australian held his audience al.
most spell bound by his narration OF
that memorable charge of the British
against the Turks on the Galnpoi
peninsula, where he served with th<
Australian unit Here after six heart
breaking attacks against the alTnos
iimpregnable Turkish defenses. the
allied troops on the last charge. ont
compared to which the charge OF thu
Light Brigade almost pales into In
significance, swept all before them
and victory was theirs, but at a cos
Of thousands of tho flower OF tn
British Empire.
Disagreement with some preacher:
who have expressed their views or
tho subject. the poet said he believed
that all soldiers who died on the bat
tie field would go to heaven. The,
were even now Singing. singing IL
the gates OF paradise"
Mr.. Skekyill's address was mo-
without its humorous side. and n
his many funny tales of life in trench
land camp.