The Gazette 1949-1952

President had been placed only three places away from the President o f the A .B .A ., the Chief Justice o f the United States and Cardinal Spellman alone preceding me. On the President of A .B .A .’s other side was the guest speaker, the Lord Chancellor o f England, Viscount Jowitt and beyond him some American lawyers whom I do not recollect. The emphasis on the seating arrangements may seem laborious in a country where we do not attach too much importance to such matters. I mention it for the reason that in America, as indeed in most other countries, except Ireland, a very considerable amount o f attention is paid to protocol. Placing is merely the yardstick by which we can measure the very great courtesy and honour accorded to this Society through the person o f its President. Throughout the week Ireland received the “ most favoured Nation” treatment; in fact it was not possible for the A .B.A . to extend any greater honour or courtesy to this country or our Society than was, in fact, extended by it. At the end o f the dinner the President o f the A .B.A . announced that the Council o f the Associa­ tion had considered that afternoon the conferring o f two honorary memberships o f the American Bar Association and called on myself and the the President o f the Canadian Bar Association to come forward to receive our Certificate of membership. This was a very pleasant but un­ expected surprise and as I had received no prior warning I had no opportunity to prepare a carefully polished impromptu. A t personal level the hospitality would tax the health and head of even the strongest President. During the week there were endless cocktail parties, lunches, etc., given by various legal groups, e.g., Women Lawyers’ Association, Junior Lawyers’ Association, Maritime and Aviation Lawyers’, Group, etc. There was even a fashion show. I averaged five o f these parties per day over and above the programmed items. Many o f the leading firms in New York took suites in the Waldorf Astoria to entertain their legal correspondents from all over the U.S. We the visitors were pressed into service as decoy ducks on such occasions. The generosity and kindliness which I received on all sides during the week is worthy of special note. I am convinced, and it also represents the views of our diplomatic officials in the U.S., that a visit such as this can do nothing but good not alone to our Society but to the country as a whole. As will be seen from the programme in the Secretary’s office, many o f those who attended and spoke were from the most influential groups in the legal, commercial and political life of the United States. Many o f them had gained their views on Ireland

Law, Criminal Law, Real Property Probate and Trust Law, Patent Trademark and Copyright Law, etc. As an invited guest I was concerned mostly with the sessions o f the General Assembly. At these sessions, all of which I attended, I was invariably invited by the President of the A.B.A. to sit on the platform with him, an honour which I greatly appreciated. At 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday evening, 19th September, the President’s Reception was held and here I was invited to stand in the reception line with him to receive the guests. This was somewhat of a mixed blessing, as I soon realised after I had shaken the hands and greeted some 2.000 members and their wives and as each member and his wife, individually, asked for details o f our Presidential chain o f office. On Wednesday, 19th September, I addressed the Legal Aid Society luncheon in the premises of the Bar Association o f the City o f New York, where I was seated on the left o f the Chairman, the Lord Chancellor Viscount Jowitt being on his right. I made a short speech at this luncheon telling the Legal Aid Society that whilst we had no organised legal aid in this country, as they have in the United States and in England, that there was an acceptance on the part o f every practising lawyer that no person should go in want of legal assistance due to lack of funds. That afternoon I addressed the General Assembly of the American Bar Association, the subject of my address being the practice o f law in Ireland. I commenced with a brief resume of the Brehon Laws, starting at the third century, the fact that we had a live legal system in Ireland in those days came as a surprise to nearly everybody, and developed into a general outline o f legal practice and education in Ireland to-day. The Presidents from Mexico and Cuba asked for copies of my speech to reprint in their local Law Journals. A U.S. Congressman from Philadelphia also asked for a copy, to be placed by him on the Congressional Record in Washington D.C. That evening, Thursday 20th September, the annual banquet of the A .B.A . was held. It was a sight which would be impossible to witness in Ireland. It was held in the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, which was packed, the members and their guests overflowing into the galleries, lounges and ante chambers adjoining the ballroom. Almost 3.000 sat down to dinner. Here again the very signal courtesy and honour which everywhere had been afforded to our Society during the course o f the week was once more in evidence. When I came to my name card I discovered that your