The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-01
NEARING A CRISIS.
Newfoundland on the Point Of Asking |
Annexation.

NewfOu ndlAuu on the Point OF Asking
Annexation.
ST. JoHN's N. F., May 3l.-The negotia-
tions now pending in London between the
British government and the representatives
Of the people of Newfoundland for bet
ter Interpretation of the French shore
treaty have at length reached suOh a state
that crisis in the affairs Of Newfoundl and
may be expected to OCCUR at a moments
notice. This is to some degree fore
shadowed. both in Lord Salisbury's refusal
of the PROVINCES demand and in Sir Will
withdrawal from the British empire. The
protest of the Newfoundland delegates
against the knutsford bill has been met by
the assertion from Lord Salisbury that if
the Newfoundland people will not pass a
temporary act to enable him to carry
out his agreement with France he will
pass an imperial aot to that end. This
frank but disoouraginR statement Of the
Sir William v. Whiteway, premier of New
foundland, to say that if Lord Salisbury in
sists upon forcing upon Newfoundland a
policy she does not want, the province will
appeal to the British public and. failing in
that will withdraw from the empire. The
Newfoundland's struggle is still further in
creased by Sir Williams open avowal that,
in case of extreme measures, he should
consider annexation to the United States.
1t looks like squnlly weather ahead. The
Newfoundland people are Anglo Saxons of
a sturdy, rugged type. and, while they are
proverbially slow to wrath, they are the
moro likely to create serious trouble when
they are thoroughly aroused. Sir William
Whitney, the leader of the delegation to
England il accredited with an ambition TO
secure the favor Of the crown in the hope
of further honors, yet his recent utteranoes
in London have tended 10 show them he
ism. 1t was expected of him that when the
test actually came he would throw away
ambition and demand tho rights of his
country. That this is the course he has
determined to follow is quite plainly shown
in the stand he has taken in answer to
Lord Salisbury's plain statement of the
governments position.
The dispute has not yet reached the point
where the United States must consider
whether or not it wants Newfoundland as
an additional state. There Is time enough
for that. The common notion In the United
States, however, that Newfoundland is
rocky and worthless fishing station ia en-
tirely erroneous. As matter of fact, the
province ia rich III valuable shipbuilding
timber and in several kinds of mineral, in
Guiding coal. iron, copper ana gypsum.
Another point that has a bearing on the
controversy is that under annexation the
Newfoundland fishermen can find new
market for their fish. and they will let the
Frenchmsn have free bait in exchange for
The relinquishment by France of all claim
on the French shore. The only possible
market that could compensate Nswfound-
land for tho loss of her European markets
would be the markets of the United States.
At present this seems to be attainable only
by actual annexation. The reciprocity
treaty recently negotiated between
Newfoundland and the United States
has not been and is not likely
to be approved of by the British
government, on the score that it is + dis
crimination against Canada. AS Canada
has no bait to sell to the United States, il
is easy to SEQ that she can not get the
United States to take her fish i'll return for
the privilege of buying bait, although an
effort is being made in Canada to work this
sort of fraud ON the crsdulous Americans.
Therefore, the British government is not
likely to permit the ratification of n treaty
between the United States and Newfound-
land, nor is II likely to look with any sort
of favor upon direct annexation.