New-York tribune., 1902-01-30
NEWFOUNDLAND'S GRIEVANCE.

"Wait another year is Mr.. Chamberlain's re-
ply to Newfoundand's appeal for redress of
long standing grievance. What the colonial
rejonder will be remains TO be seen. That IL
will be n prompt and uncomplaining acQui-
eScence in postpOnement is scarcely 10 be eX-
pected, seeing that the Newfoundlanders are
neither more nor less than human. Yet there
seems TO be little ground for hope that Mr..
Chamberlain will modify or indeed will be able
TO modify. his answer, and II he does not there
will be no course but acquiescence open to New
foundland. The colony is not able 10 take the
matter into it's own hands even If It were dis
posed to do So Nothing could be gained by
seeking annexation to Canada. Nor is rebellion
70 be thought OF. The outlook is, therefore
that for another year the Treaty OF Utrecht
will hang like an Old Man OF the Sea upon the
neck of Englands oldest colony depressing It's
industries, impairing it's prosperity, and doubt
less TO some extent seriously trying the loyal
patience OF its people.
The Treaty of Utrecht gave to the French the
right to use some hundreds OF miles OF the west
coast of Newfoundland for fishing purposes and
TO erect thereon the Temporary stages usual
and necessary for drying fish" The Newfound-
landers complain that the French use more of
the shore than they are entitled to under the
canning as well as for fishing; that they have
erected permanent factories, of brick and iron.
instead OF temporary stages" and that they
insist upon the exclusive use of the shore in
stead of merely its concurrent use with the
Observation-Disclosures and-under the convention of
1S1S-with United States fishermen. 1t does not
appear that the French deny all these charges
Only dozen years ago, indeed the French Gov
eminent required some of its citizens to tear
down a lobster cannery which they had erected
there, because 1t held that under the treaty they
were not entitled to build and to maintain such
an establishment upon that coast Now how
ever, Frenchmen build and maintain such fac
tories at will, while if Newfoundanders at
tempt to do the same they are compelled bv
the British Government to desist We have
then, the spectacle of mere handful of five
hundred Frenchmen occupying nearly eight
hundred miles of the coast of Newfoundland for
the carrying on Of an industry worth less than
100000 year, under the protection of six or
seven warships and to the absolute exclusion of
everybody else from the coast-for the New
foundlanders not only cannot use that coast
for fishing purposes they cannot have n port
or even a shipping wharf anywhere upon II for
the shipment Of lumber or coal; the territory
back of that coast is absolutely barred from
access to the sea.
The anomaly Of the situation is selfevidan+
France doubtless would be glad to end It The
maintenance of her warships off that coast costs
her much more than the entire value of the in
dustry, and the few fishermen who 90 To the
coast are induced to do so only by the payment
of a generous bounty. France realizes how
ever, that she enjoys the advantage of nosses
sion, and is naturally not inclined TO relinou,sb
it without substantial compensation elsewhere
We may well believe that for some wears sha
has been holding on to that improbable coast
chiefly for the sake of what she expects to get
in return for giving it up Nothing is needed
then, but for the British and French govern
ments TO get together amicably on the ground
OF do ut des." The trouble is that the former
has Its hands so full in South Africa and aIse
where that 1t cannot well take up another i'm
portant diplomatic controversy at this time
That is why Mr.. Chamberlain asks Newfonnd
land to let the modus vivendi, which exn;red
at the end of last month, be renewed for an
other year. year ago he made the same ra
quest. The Newfoundlanders then consented
though with much reluctance and with a nrettv
definite understanding on their side that 1901
would be the last year of that unsatisfactory
systems though, Of course, there was no promisa
to that effect. Now another such renewal is
asked. 1t is pretty hard upon the long suffering