The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-27

French-are engaged in this deiectab,e
duty. The French are not allowed to touch
the person or property ton land) OF the
settlers, and when any serious trounle
arises have to call upon the British ships
to interfere; but boats. nets. lohst n
traps and the like are fair game for the
French, ard right well do they enjoy the
sport of making wreck of Them.
As for the British officers and men. IT
is only fair to say that they bitterly re-
sent the nature of their work in these
waters. but their duty calls them to 1t,
and obedience is the first principle of
naval and military discipline.
This fishery patrol lasts from May until
October, and within these periods there
is always warship TO be found in St.
John's ready to sail at any moment TO any
point where there may be demand for her
services. The remainder of the squadron
is cruising up and down the disputed coast
line engaged in the several tasks above
enumerated.
An UnenvinbIe Position.
The position of commodore on this sta
ton is not one to be envied; it calls for
a most tactful man, and the present Brit
ish senior officer. Commodore G. A Clifford,
is proving very acceptable. His duties are
ways arising. and more unpleasant than
anything else is the constant conflict with
the colonial Government, which is bitterly
hostile to a continuance of the conditions
now existing. and which is doing its best
to bring about full and complete settle
ment of the difficulty by getting rid of
the French altogether.
That Is the ambition of every New
foundlander. and the colonial politicians
the imperial Government in this connec-
ton The rigid enforcement of the fishery
laws also causes much distress and desti-
tuition amqpg the settlers. and how TO
minimize the direful effect of these I'M
pleasant duties is another of the perplexi-
ties of the man in control.
His French confrere. Commodore Leon
Henrique. has no such trouble. His posi-
ton is a most enyiable one. He can pu.-
sue the policy of pin-pricks to an almost
unlimited extent. for all he needs to stop
short of is the plunging of the two nations
into war. He sails around the treaty
coast. like Robinson Crusoe, monarch of
all he surveys" He may order the re-
moval of this fishing vessel, the destruc-
ton of that boat. the cutting up of nets
and traps wherever he can make OUT a
specious claim that they are interfering
with the work Of the Free Oh fishermen.
He can demand the dismansiing Of lob
ster Ianneries and the prohibition OF the
coast folk from continuing in that bust
ness. He can go further still. he can stop
the building of wharves and EJores on The
ssea-front. or the erection of dwellings
within half mile OF hiea-water marx. He
can prevent the working Of mines. the
running of sawmills or the filling Of farms
within the said area. He can. and does.
ifr1r, do . ho If ba
gien. and prevent the settlers enjoying
the full fruits of their legitimate indus
try. Few men have such autocratic pow
ers. and they founded on such a slight
basis.
A ConciIiatory Policy.
The imperial authorities acouiesce in ev
cry demand the French make. and the first
and most emphatic instruction an officer
gets who is assigned to duty in these wa
tiers is that he do n9thing to offend the
French, but on the contrary. that he take
pains to conciliate them and uphold their
side in ell disputes which may arise. Fur
Their. England's full sovereignty is net Off
cially insisted upon in legal instruments.
fer all grants of land given on that coast
are issued with the limitation that they arc
subject to the French claim to fishing
rights there. II is not a demonstration Of
the past two centuries. and when the actual
value of the issue INVOLVED is realized 1t
becomes even more incomprehensible how
il is tolerated today.
All France has on the treaty coast today
is about a dozen tumole-down fishing sta
tons and five or six rotten old brigs. The
glory of the cod fishery there is departed.
Today it is only kept alive by the most
vigorous nursing in the shape Of oounties.
These bounties are pail by the French
Government 10 the overseas fishermen as
an auxiliary 10 naval progress. that the
fisher folk may be trained for seamen Cor
the French feet But this is an exploded
theory today, and France gains nothing by
her outlay. although the merchants who
control the business are powerful enough
to secure the continuance OF the legisla-
tive appropriation from year to year.
On the treaty coast She French fisher
men are but transients. coming each
spring and leaving again each fall, perma-
ne1t occupation being forbidden them. In
the very nature of things. therefore. no
substantial profit can come to France from
the industry, prosecuted on such small
scale and bolstered up by bounties. Within
ten years, II conditions continue as tley
now are, the Frenchmen will have aban-
doned the coast altogether, because OF the
hopelessness of making the fishery pay in
the face Of the competition OF superior aud
more palatable food products.
Yet, SO sensitive are the powers con-
cerned as TO their respective rights. that
they maintain costly squadrons in these
waters every summer and eXpend large
amounts in the minor work incident 10
the exploiting of their positions. II is
safe TO say that France pays more each
season for the upkeep of her feet in New
foundland than the total value OF the
catch OF her fishermen there. England
has, of course, the excuse for her &C ion
that the island is her Oldest colony and
that she must assert her dominion by a
show of force.
GIRL BATHERS DROWNED.