The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-14
MINISTERS OF FINANCE,
Foster, United States, Replies in Temper t.
Foster. Canada.

Foster, United States, Replies In Temper to
Foster, Canada.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-The attention of
Secretary of State Foster was called to a
lengthy interview with the Canadian finance
minister, Foster telegraphed from Ottawa,
in which the Canadian severely critcises
President Harrlson's annual message with
reference to Canada. Speaking of the re-
ciprocity matter. Secretary Foster said
that during conference last winter Mr..
! Blaine did not insist ON uniform tariff
for both countries, but did ask that the
schedule should not be confined to natural
products, but include an agreed list of man
ufactured goods. The fishery question in
cludes more than century of volumin ous
discussion and prolonged controversy, but
the most limited examination of it shows
that at every step in it's history
the eXactlng and unreasonable demands
of Canada have frustrated otherwise
harmonious adjustments between Great
Britain and the United States. This ig es-
recially noticeable in the fur seal contro-
versy. II is q we'll known fact that in 1888
the bject had reached a complete basis of
| settlement in London between Lord Sails
bury and Minister Phelps when Canada's
remonstrancas defeated the arrangement
and p,ecipitated the two governments into
a bittNr discussion out of which has grown
the ReriEg arbitration.
1.-The Canadians statement of the issue
involved in the controversy is also mis-
leading" said Secretary Foster. "It is not
a question of free fishing on the high seas.
The government of the United States does
not claim that Rering sea is mere clausum,
and does not seek to restrict the legitimate o
freedom of the ocean, but in the language
of MIR. Blaine it does claim that the law of
the sea IS not lawlessness. 1t holds that
fur seals bo II and reared on Pribyloff
islands, on which they spend n large part
of their existence and to which they return
with unvarylng instinct, represent large
and valuable interest and an industry
winch should not be permitted to be exter-
minated by the lnhuman methods of Cauu-
dian poache $.
The Canadian minister closed the canal
controversy by shifting the zeal ground to
an alleged comparison of the relative ad-
vantages the two countries derive from
each others concessions under the treaty
of Washington in the matter of navigation
The whole movement rs evidently designed
to force the United States to WELD to Can
Gua I ee NAVIGATION of the Hudson liver, a
concession which was left uncousidered in
the conference which led up to the treaty
of Washington. The navigation of Lake
Michigan by Canadian WAS made then the
exptess equivalent of the navigation of the
ST. Law ence river. Every attempt to
bring about Il better unGet standing of canal
tolls has been met be the demand of Canada
that the free navigation of the Hudson
river be thrown in by the Unit94 States as
tho price of Canada's fuitiilment of the
simple terms of tho treaty with Washing
ton. All nations have carefully guarded
iote nal avenues of communication and
coastwise commerce ON foreign intrusion
and the president has neither the incllna-
tion noi the power 10 pay the price OF its
surrender, in this instance to secure observ-
ance by Canada of what he regards as
plain t eaty obligations
rec etav Foster also devotes some space
to Canuda's attitude toward our railway
traffic, and snys our toleration of the Ca
madam railway system's operations thus
far has heen one OF many instances of
forbeurance of the executiva and distln-
Ruishod mark of tho desire to cultivate
friendly relations with Canada.