tional law, but not under the auspices of the Society, as the Executive Council deemed it better not to confuse functions; but both recommendations made by the standing committee will be carried into effect, if it be the desire of our brethren of the International Bar to have us do so. The CHAIRMAN. The next in order is the report of the Committee on Resolutions favoring the establishment of branch societies of international law in different cities. Mr. Jasper Y. Brinton? Mr. SCOTT. In the absence of Mr. Brinton, I have been asked to read this resolution: Resolved, That the members of the Society residing in the various cities of the United States are hereby authorized to organize themselves into separate chapters of the Society for the purpose of holding meetings and in general of promoting the purposes of the Society, subject always to its by-laws and other regulations and to the control and direction of the Executive Committee. This suggestion comes from Mr. Brinton and some of his Philadelphia colleagues, who are very anxious to start a society in Philadelphia, in the hope that such societies will be established in different cities of the Union, thus increasing the interest in international law and the effectiveness of the Society. I take this occasion to say that the motion has come from the Philadelphia members upon their own initiative and upon their own request, without any intimation from the officers of the Society. Mr. DENYS P. MYERS. I should like to say a word on that motion. In Boston about three years ago some of us conceived something like that same idea, and after a committee of us had met half a dozen times we developed an organization, and we felt that the best way of bringing the people together was at a luncheon. I mention these things because that involved experience in the same line. From time to time as we heard in advance of someone going to be in town who might profitably address us, we informed our members, organized a luncheon, and I suppose that in one year we had a meeting about once every five weeks, for which there was no stated time. We had at those meetings an average of about thirty individuals, which was very good, and, on the whole, we felt that the experience was a successful one. However, the steering committee - there was no formal organization at all got sidetracked on to other things, and neglected to keep track of those people who were coming to town, and the scheme, for the past year or so, has fallen into abeyance. Our experience in Boston was that this idea had something behind it; that the indi viduals who attended those meetings found them very profitable, and particularly that they found the scheme of holding the meeting synchronized with the lunch hour was particularly pleasant, and enabled them to kill two birds with one stone; namely, to eat and to attend a meeting of this little gathering. Those experiences may be of some interest in this connection. Mr. CHARLES HENRY BUTLER. Mr. Chairman. I do not think that a subject of this kind ought to be passed upon definitely at a general meeting of this nature. I think it ought to be left to the Executive Council, and I would like to make a motion, comprising two things: first, that we obtain the sense of this meeting, in a general way, as to the advisability or not of adopting such a resolution or considering such a resolution, and then to leave it to the Executive Committee, in its wisdom, to consider the matter and to decide what is best to be done. The CHAIRMAN. The matter stands upon the report of this committee, the adoption of which has been moved and seconded. Mr. BUTLER. And I amend it by making the motion that the sense of this meeting be secured, and then that it be left for the consideration of the Executive Council, and their final action. Mr. SCOTT. I am merely acting now in the absence of Mr. Brinton, but in order to facilitate matters, I feel justified in accepting that amendment as a substitute for the original motion, so that the motion last made is before the meeting. The CHAIRMAN. Is there any objection? Mr. BUTLER. Under the rules of the Society, does not the resolution automatically go to the Executive Council? Mr. SCOTT. It may or may not, according to the sense of the meeting, as this meeting is the supreme body; but the proposition is that an expression of opinion be here given, and that then the whole matter be referred to the Executive Council. (The motion, as amended, was thereupon put and unanimously carried.) The CHAIRMAN. The Committee on Resolutions respecting the death of Hon. Richard Olney is requested to report. Professor PHILIP M. BROWN. Mr. Chairman, no words of mine are required to express the feelings of every one present that in the death of the Hon. Richard Olney the nation and this Society have experienced a very great and deep loss. In fact, I feel so utterly inadequate for the task of saying anything that might be interpreted as a eulogy of Mr. Olney, that I will refrain from saying more at this time than that he was a devoted friend of this Society, and one of its vice-presidents. I would, therefore, offer the following resolution. Resolved, That the American Society of International Law, in annual meeting assembled, hereby expresses its great sense of loss in the death of the Honorable Richard Olney, a loyal member of the Society, who, as statesman, jurisconsult, and patriotic citizen was ever a valiant defender of the law of nations. (The said resolution was thereupon unanimously adopted by a rising vote.) The CHAIRMAN. Is there any other business, Mr. Secretary? Mr. SCOTT. There is one item, and that is to present to the Society, on behalf of the American Institute of International Law, all the publications of the Institute heretofore published. They will be deposited in the archives of the Society. The CHAIRMAN. Is there any further business? (There being no further business, the Society, at 12 o'clock noon, adjourned.) It having been discovered that the name of Mr. Elihu Root, for President of the Society for the ensuing year, had been omitted through an inadvertence, from the recommendations of the Committee on Nominations, the Society was immediately reconvened and Dr. David Jayne Hill chosen to preside. Mr. Charles Cheney Hyde, for the Committee on Nominations, reported the name of Elihu Root for President of the Society for the ensuing year. There being no further nominations, the Recording Secretary was, upon motion duly made and seconded, instructed to cast a single ballot of the Society for Mr. Root for President. The Secretary cast the ballot and Mr. Root was unanimously declared reëlected President for the ensuing year. Whereupon the Society, at 12:10 o'clock P.M., adjourned. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL April 26, 1917 The Executive Council met at No. 2 Jackson Place, Washington, D. C., April 26, 1917, at 3:30 o'clock P.M. Present: Mr. CHANDLER P. ANDERSON Mr. CHARLES HENRY BUTLER Mr. CHARLES CHENEY HYDE Mr. JOHN H. LATANÉ Mr. GEORGE A. FINCH, Assistant to the Secretaries, was also in attendance. In the absence of the Chairman, Admiral STOCKTON presided. The minutes of the meetings of April 27 and 29, 1916, were approved as printed in the proceedings for that year, pages 164 and 167. Mr. Scott, Recording Secretary, submitted the following report on the membership of the Society: Members who receive the Spanish edition of the journal Members carried upon the rolls (Not including subscribers, of whom there are 44) Members elected since April 27, 1916.... Members resigned since April 27, 1916... 230 19 I Members deceased since April 27, 1916 The report was received and ordered to be filed. Mr. ANDERSON, the Treasurer, submitted his report for the year 1917,1 which, after being read, was ordered to be referred to a committee of two auditors to be appointed by the chair. Attention was called to the fact that several previous Treasurer's reports had not been audited because members appointed upon the auditing committee had been unable to serve. It was thereupon moved and duly seconded that the previous reports which had not been audited be referred to the auditing committee to be appointed this year. The Chairman subsequently announced that Messrs. Alpheus H. Snow and Charles Ray Dean had been appointed auditors. Professor George G. Wilson, on behalf of the Committee on Selection of Honorary Members, reported that the Committee did not think it expedient to make a recommendation. The next order of business was the appointment of a Committee on Nominations and, upon motion duly made and seconded, the Chairman was authorized to appoint the members of this committee. He appointed the following gentlemen: Mr. CHARLES CHENEY HYDE Mr. GEORGE W. KIRCHWEY Mr. JOHN H. LATANÉ Mr. EVERETT P. WHEELER Mr. GEORGE G. WILSON Mr. Scott, on behalf of the Board of Editors, reported the action of the Board in directing the issuance, as Special Supplements to the JOURNAL, of the diplomatic correspondence between the United States and belligerent governments relating to neutral rights and commerce. Two issues of these. Special Supplements have appeared, one bearing the date of July, 1915, and the other of October, 1916. He further reported that the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace had purchased special editions of 6000 1 Printed herein page 158. |