New-York tribune., 1872-05-06
THE DIPLOMATIC MUDDLE.
THE ALLEGED SURRENDER OF THE IN
DIRECT CLAIMS.

DIRECT CLAIMS.
AMERICA ADVISED TO sUPERsEDE THE ORIGINAL
AMERICAN CASE.
LONDON Saturday May 4, ls72
The I,nes this morning urges President Grant TO
send to the Geneva Tribunal of Arbitration CON-
munication which shall supersede the original
American Case, containing the claims for conse-
quential damages.
THE WHOLE SUBJECT IN INExTRIcABLE cONFU-
sI0N-sEcRETARY FIsH's LAST DISPATCH
MIsINrERPRErED BY LORD GRAEVILLE-IHE
AUGMENTATION IN QUANDARY.
WASHINGTON, May 8, 1917.
The Administration s all at sea again in regard to
the Indirect Damages muddle. Secretary Fish re-
ceived, on Friday, dispatch from Gen. Schenck, In
reply to the one which he sent week ago yesterday
and the questions it presented were OF 30
serious and perplexing nature that the
Foreign Committees Of both Houses were
invited to the State Department, yesterday
morning, for the purpose Of consultation The stu
alton to-day may be be said TO be exactly what IL
was before Secretary Fish attempted TO fix up q
compromise by means of Supplementary Treaty
with the exception that possibly new element OF
misunderstanding has been introduced by the
characterization by Great Britain Of Mr. Fishs
motive and object in his late correspondence with
Gen. Schenck When Lord Granville made his
first protest against the claims for indirect dam
ages Mr.. Fish replied that the right of
the United States to submit those claims for arbItra
tion was undoubted; that we intended TO stand by
our case as submitted and that the Geneva Confer
ence was the only tribunal which could decide the
question of its own Jurisdiction.
The State Department defended its action here
in Washin gton and it not for several weeks that
there was any intmaton in official quarters that
money award for these damages was expected or
even desired. Indeed, the language of the American
case is held by every one, who has studied 1t care
fully indicate that its writer or the Secretary of
State under whose personal direction that particu
lar part of the is now known to have been pre-
pared. both desired and expected that some money
award would be made. This was the attitude Of the
Administration up the time that the Secretary first
replied to Granville's second letter of protest
of April 49, After this second letter, which il
believed 20 have been the last communication on
the subject made directly by the United States Gov
ernment to that of Great Britain, was sent, the
public had positive assurances that the attitude of
the Administration had not changed, but that
it still insisted its original interpre-
tation of the Treaty. Secretary Fish, hay
ing apparently become convinced that
the British Government would withdraw
from the Geneva Conference, unless some under
standing arrived at, about this time sent let
United States Government. in submitting the claims
for indirect damages, did so not IN the hope that a
favorable award would be made on them, but with
desire TO have the great question of the extent of
nations responsibility for such damages passed upon
and that we should be better pleased if they were
rejected than if they were allowed, provided that
decision could stand as a precedent in the future
This dispatch was followed on Saturday, April e. by
longer one, directing Gen. Schenck 10 inform the
British Government of the feeling Of our admins
tration on this subject, and To intimate that If
Great Britain would propose to the United
States that some understanding be arrived at
in regard 70 the question at ISSUE the United States
would consider it 10 a friendly spirit. From the
reply 70 this dispatch received on Friday, that mas
onsed the apprehensions of the Administration and
calls on the Foreign Committees Of Congress for
counsel it seems that Lord Granville has
interpreted the intimatiOn which he has received
lust as everybody in this country obliged
10. as an unconditional surrender This is shown by
the tenor of the dispatch received Friday, and it
further appears that the British Ministry have not
vet concluded whe her they will accept this sur
render OF not. Secretary Fish insists that he has
made no proposition to Great Britain, and that he
has only given Granville to understand that he will
entertain proposition If it comes from him. Gran
vile nterprets this intmation offer TO surren
der and wants time to consider the expediency of
accepting.
The Foreign Committees found the matter as
presented, very perplexing One member OF the
House Committee told Mr.. Fish that he ought TO
have called in the physicians before the patient got
into so bad a way. The general opinion was
that tho only honorable way out was to
90 back TO the original case, submitted
in December last, and stand by it without further
avnlanation Some members of cOmmittees how
ever say that they don't see how the United States
can back out if Granville concludes to accept the
propositions he understands to have been made,
without causing still more hard feeling the part
Of Great Britain. So the case stands
exactly as it did before Secretary Fish wrote his
ill-adyised letter to Mr. Schenck, except that our
State Department in the eyes Of almost everybody
in Washington, without regard to party has dis
graced itself by its weak attempt to surrender. !
Gen. Butler said Saturday that he should intro
duce resolution in the House tomorrow, declaring
it TO be the sense of that body that the Government
must stand by the Case as originally presented
THE QUESTION OF THE FISHERIES.
SPEECH OF SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD-HE DEFINES |
THE POSITION OF THE CANADIAN GOVERN |
MENT.
OTTAWA. Canada, May 4.-Last night Sir John |
A. Macdonald, Premier OF the Dominion Government, |
and one OF the Joint High Commissioners introduced
bill to give certain clauses Of the Treaty Of Wash
ngton. He said he had originally intended merely |
10 suspend the Fishing laws which prevent |
Americans from fishing in our waters during |
the coming season. As, however the American Govern
ment had acted all the claims the Canadian Govern
meat had decided TO follow the The first
clause of the bill TO suspend the present Fishery
laws which prohibit Americans from fishing IN Canad
ian waters The second clause OF the bill provided |