The herald., 1898-11-19
The ANGLO-AMfRlCANS
HOPE TO SETTLE CANADIAN
QUESTIONS
RECIPROCITY AND FISHERIES
Are the Two Subjects on Which Sat-
isfactory Agreement Seems
Most Likely
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Nov. ls.-Members OF
| the Anglo American Commission, Americans
and Canadians, expressed the hope today
| that the commission would complete its
labors before the Christmas holidays, but
they are not yet willing to state that treaty
will be framed covering the many subjects
of difference between the United States and
Canada. Greater progress has been made
than is generally understood, and a thorough
draft of some of the articles of the proposed
treaty has been submitted by sub-commit-
tees and tentatively approved. This, how
ever, covers the minor questions and their
important subjects of the North Atlantic
fisheries. reciprocity and Berins Sea to re-
main open.
While the commission treats all state
ments regarding its work as unauthorized.
vet it is understood by those acquainted
with its work that the questions OF border
immigration. mining rights, lake fisheries
and the Alaskan-C Canadian boundary has been
found less difficult of solution than was ex-
pected, and that basis of agreement on
these subjects is in sight, II not actually de-
termined upon. Technically, however,
nothing is done until the last act OF the com
mission is performed, SO that these and all
other subjects may remain open to the end
As to Bering sea, the belief prevails that
settlement on both sides will be reached
and the fact that the officials, one Canadian
and the other an American, are at Victoria,
where an inventory is making OF the Bering
fleet. leads to the belief that a settlement
may be on the basis of wiping out the indus
try by giving the Canadians some equivalent
for the capital invested. A recent official
document places the Bering sea fleet at
thirty, but these are small schooners, none
of them above 100 tons.
Reciprocity and the Atlantic fisheries con-
tinue to be the most stubborn questions be-
fore the commission. On reciprocity the
commissioners do not express themselves in
sanguine terms. The subject is still before
subcommittee, which, however, reports
when an agreement is reached and the full
committee approves what has been done.
There are so many articles on tariff sched-
ue that the discussions have not yet been
productive of many agreements on specilc
articles or groups of articles. Thus far the
discussion has been rather free and open,
articles being considered as they were called
I'D BY individual members. While the abro-
CATION of the British preferential tariff is
considered by some of the American COM
missioners as sine qua non to any reciprocity
agreement. it is said this view has not been
submitted in the form of an ultimatum, and
that the issues on that point are yet to come.
As indicating the liberal view prevailing
among the American commissioners one OF
them said today that he wished American
merchants could be brought to realize the
futility OF shutting Canadian goods from our
market when the main result was to force
these goods at much greater advantage
than they could get in the New York or other
American markets. In his judgment it was
to our advantage to compete with Canadian