New-York tribune., 1921-05-30


the result Of almost incredibly patient
and painstakinr research, Of the long
neglected and forgotten grave of John
Paul Jones and his transfer OF the
body of that Father Of the American
Navy" home to Annapolis. This achieve
ment General Porter performed en-
tirely at his own cost. spending SIX
years Of time and more LhRH S35,O0O
Of his private means in the quest.
Congress voted him its unanimous
thanks and the privilege Of the hoor
Of both houses for life. 1t also OF
fered him reimbursement for his e1-
penditures, but this he declined to
accept. II should also be recalled
some years before this work he had
performed another patriotic service of
similar character, in securing ths
funds needed for the building OF
Grants Tomb on Riverside Drive.
His last national service was per-
formed in 1907, when he was mem
her of the American delegation TO the
second peace congress at The Hague
II was he who introduced and with
consummate skill urged the adoptlon
of the Drago version OF the CaiVo
doctrine as rule Of international law
(forbidding forcible collection Of in
ternational debts), citing in its sup
authorities. He did not fully succeed
in this advocacy, but he did secure 8
long step in that direction in the
adoption of an agreement 80 take no
military or naval action to compel the
repayment of such debts until an oder
Of arbitration has been made ny the
creditor and refused unanswered by
the debtor, or until arbitration has
taken place and the debtor state
failed to conform to the declaration
given" He also introduced q propcs sal
for an agreement, on the lines o. trc
general arbitration treaties which this
country had negotiated, for submitting
to arbitration az a matter of obliga-
ton questions which did not affect the
vital interests, independence or honor
of either contestant. This, chiefly
through German influence, the con-
gress declined to adopt.
Advocate of Preparedness
Although then too old for active
service, General Porter was intensely
interested in the World War, the more
so because of Germany's hagront vio
lation of the rules Of neutrality and
of war, in the making of which he had
participated seven years before at The
Hague. He referred to this IN an
1
their annual dinner in 1915 Mordant
ly decrying pacifsts as "doctrinairies
and theorizers who would try to raise
omelettes by planting cab0ages," re
continued: This war will be worth
much to US if it teaches US the value
Of being prepared. The peace 90
cieties say that the only way to avert
war is to make peace treaties. Well
know something about that, for as
a delegate to the congress at The
Hague I helped to make twelve treat
les, which were signed by representa-
tives of all nations. AS to their value
why, we had scarcely turned our
backs on them when they were all
broken. They proved to be mere
scraps of paper. They were not worth
the sheets they were written on. May
our country never invite war by being
unprepared to meet it. We don't want
unarmed war, but rather armed peace.
Battalions are cheaper than battles"
Orator and Author
General Porter for many years
ranked among the foremost public
speakers of his tame. He was the
orator at the dedication Of the Wash
ington Arch in New York, on May !.
1895, and at the dedication of Grant S
writer as well as q speaker, and was
the author of. West Point Life ana
Campaigning with Grant, and q large
number of magazine and review arti-
cies. II is of interest to recall that he
began his career as a speaker as the
public spokesman Of the silent soldier.
Grant; and perhaps owed to that cir
cuu1stance his subsequent great sue
cess on the platform. He accompanied
Grant on his first tour of the country
after the war, and at his chiefs re-
quest responded for him to most OF
the addresses of welcome which were
made to him. Before the end of that
tour he had won & nation wide reputa-
tion IS q ready, versatile and eloquent
orator.
General Porter was a member of the
Society of the Sons of the American
Revolution, of the Military Order OF
the Loyal Legion, of the Grand Army
of the Republic and Of various other
patriotic organizations, He was for
some time president of the Society of
the Army Of the Potomac, and also Of
the Union League Club of New York
City. The latter circumstance is q
reminder that he was always in poll
tics an earnest and aggressive Re
publican. He was a member Of numer-
Gus clubs in New York, including the
Union League, Republican, Ceatury,
Authors, Lotos, Players, Grolier and
Metropolitan, and the Chamber of
Commerce Of the State of New York.
He received the honorary degree of
Doctor of Laws from Williams College
and from Union. Princeton and Har-
ward universities.
General Porter married on Decem-
ber 23, 1868. Miss Sophie K. McHarg,
Of Albany, N. Y. She died in Paris
on April 6, 1902. leaving a son, Clar-
ence Porter of New York, and a
daughter, Miss Elsie Porter, now Mrs.
Edwin Mende, of Berne, Switzerland.
Birth, Engagement, Marriage,
Death and I'm Memoriam Notices
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