Evening star., 1923-08-29
DEFENDS POWERS
Of SUPREME COURT
John w. Davis UphoIds Five
to-Four Decisions-Urges
u. S. in World Tribunal.
By the Associated Press.

by the Associated 1ress.
MINNEAPOLIS. Mimi, August %
Opposition to any curtailment of the
powers of the United States Supreme
Court was expressed by John w. Da-
Wis of New York in his address as
president of the American Bar Asso-
citation at the opening session of it's
forty sixth annual convention here
today.
In addition to this stand, which ap-
plies to decisions involving constitu-
tionality of congressional enact
ments as we'll as departure from five
to-four majority decisions, the asso-
citation president also advocated the
following:
Congress should come into being
Immediately upon it's election, and the
President and Vice President should
be inauugurated without any unnec-
essary lapse of time.
Codffy Federal Statutes.
Bar should demand without further
delay the appointment under congress
sional authority of an expert commits
sion to codify the federal statutes.
Adoption of constitutional
of the United States to veto specific
items in an appropriation bill.
Ratification of treaties with for
eign countries by the Senate by a
majority vote, instead of the two
thirds vote now required.
Submission of constitutional
amendments directly to the people
of the several states or to the leg
islatu selected after. and not be-
fore, the amendment has been pro-
posed.
World Court Approved.
Repeated hope expressed in the as
sociation's resolution last year that
"a way may be found by which the
government of the United States may
avail Itself of the permanent court
of international justice"
The address of Mr.. Davis, who pre-
| sided at the opening session of the
| three-day gathering, was preceded by
| the reports of Thomas W. Kemp OF
Baltimore, secretary, and Fred f.
Wadhams. Albany, n. Y. treasurer
and was followed by nominations for
| the general council.
This afternoon the association was
to meet in joint session with the
! Minnesota Bar Association to listen
/ to an address by Pierce Butler, as
| sociate justice of the United States
| Supreme Court Tonight the Earl of
Birkenhead. former chancellor OF
| Great Britain, will address the con-
| vention.
| Women Lawyers Elect.
| Election of officers today will con-
| clude the annual convention Of the
i National Association of Women Law
yers. Miss Emile Bullowa of New
York was in line for reelection as presi-
! dent.
| Pierce Butler, associate justice of the
! United States supreme court, was elect
| ed head of the judicial section of the
i American Bar Association last night
| succeeding Judge John b. Briscoe OF the
1 circuit court of appeals in Maryland.
Two addresses Yesterday by William
| Howard Taft, chief justice of the United
| States, and number of sectional meet
| ings were preiminaries to the opening
here today of the convention.
| Quicker Justice Urged.
| IN both addresses. one before the
conference of American Bar Associa'
| tion delegates, and the other at the
closing session OF the minnesota BAL
Associations convention, the Chief
Justice urged the necessity for sim
OBLIGATION of laws to speed up justice
| There is a tendency to regard the
judiciary in lighter esteem than for
merly, the Chief Justice told the state
bar meeting, and this he ascribed tc
the .snail-iike pace of justice, which
Idiscourages and finally wears out the
man of small means.
1 Preceding the, Chief Justices ad
Idress, George Wickersham, Attorney
General in the Taft cabinet. told Of
the progress made by the American
institute of Law, national organiza
ton. backed BY eminent jurists, seek
ing ito clarity. simplify and bette
adapt to the needs of life the common
laW-the law that has been and is be
ing developed by the decisions of th'
lcourts. as distinguished from the stat
ute law