New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13
THE FRENCH SHORE CASE.
What It's Settlement Will Cost the
British TAXPAYER.

St. johns n. F.. Nov. 3 tspecisD.-rhe Anglo
Gallo treaty. which terminates that ancient ana
Irritating ENHANCEMENT, the French shore oues-
ton. is before the French Chamber at Yer
saIles awaiting ratification, which must be done
before December s. else II will lapse altogether
II provides in Article III that "a pecuniary in
IDENTITY shall he awarded by his Britannia ma
testys government to the French citizens engaged
in hshing or the preparation OF fish on the treaty
shore. who obliged either to abandon the estae
nshnents they possess there TO give up their
occupation IN consequence of the modification in
PRODUCED by the present convention into the exist
Ing state Of affairs this Indemnity cannot be
claimed by the parties interested unless they have
been engaged in their business prior to the closing
OF the fishing season OF 1903; claims for indemnity
shall be submitted 20 officer OF each nation, and
in the event of disagreement, TO umpire ap-
pointed under Article XxXII OF the Hague con-
ventioa."
The meaning of this is that the British taxpayer
is 20 foot the bin for Kidding the coast OF the
French who have fishing stations there, ana the
question then suggests itself: What viii it cost
and will the gain be worth the outlay? Befort
dealing with the actual AIRY issues involved
II may be well 10 remember that the diplomatic
aspects OF the subject and the bearing of the
French rights on :he coast react upon the larger
problems of worldwide importance in which
Britain and France concerned and which
might become a fruitful source OF dispute between
these powers and the United States. Fer the lat
ter has also certain substantial and well defined
fishery rights the west coast of Newfoundland
under the treaty OF 1915 and is not disposed now
Adsys 20 stand any nonsense" when any OF the
privileges granted her citizens are invaded by
another power whether classed as friend or other
wise
Sir Charles Dixie has characterized the New
foundland French Shore a standing menace to
the peace OF the empire. and il this dctum is
copied IT is evident that the settlement OF the dis
pute Is gain not easily be measured in hard
cash. While friction arose out of the fisheries
there. the danger always existed OF a rupture be
tween Britain and France. Whenever these powers.
I'm their efforts 20 gain advantage. conficted
HitE the Interests of the Americans. the Washing
ION Cabinet had always TO be reckoned with In
the & trouble with France. the fear OF
alternating; tie French Canadians had also 20 be
taken into account, and the actual conditions
brought about by the enforcement OF the treaties
ia Newfoundland formed the seyerest test Of the
loyalty Of these hardy islanders. who people what
they proudly boast is the oldest British colony
These facts make il evident that the question was
orc q exceptional interest. alike to the mother
country. tho Canadian federacy and the sister ma
tons with fishing rights in Newfoundland waters.
and that it is not to be measured by ordinary
standards.
FISHERY RIGHTS CONCEDED.
In 1913 20 France was conceded fishery rights the
western and northeastern coast OF Newfoundland,
these embracing the liberty to catch the fish in the
waters and then land and dry them on the shore.
for the furtherance OF which latter object the
French allowed 10 summer but not TO winter
there and also build structures for their own oe-
cupancy and FOR the curing OF their catch sub
secuent treaties modified these privileges in some
details and gave the French the st. Pierre
aGigueon isles a fishery base. In 1878 the Amert-
cans secured q similar right to fish in the west
cosst waters but not TO land there. and. lacking
This latter concession. have found themselves
obliged virtually abandon fishing there alto
cether, though they sometimes visit the inshore
waters In guest o. the bait necessary for offshore
ashinG.
As was inevitable. remembering the varying rela-
tons OF France and England-friends to-day and
enemies to-norrow-this dual occupation Of our
coast brought about claims and counter claims as
the years went by until France eventually reached
;he pcnt Of insisting that her fishermen had prior
fishing right and not 10 BE interfered with
by any others. If the Americans frequented the
coast in any Numbers this claim Of France would
have provoked war long ago. but the British gov
eminent. IN The interests Of peace, acquiesced IN
every demand of the French however preposterous,
until the actual status there was: The French
fishermen exercised A paramount a concurrent
right: the British fishermen could FISH only on suf-
ferance: II the French wanted q harbor they
turned their rivals out. II they desired fishing
area they cut the others adrift. When the
settlers attempted resistance the French called on
rarship and TIE injured men had TO move on. The
hest locations along the coast were held by the
French. and British subjects could neither build,
do business nor establish industries there The
EreHch a
miles back from high water around the Whole
eight hundred and eighty miles OF coast. for their
fishing uses. and this no permanent structures
could be erected. Later they curtailed this TO
half & mile but its effect much the same. be-
cause they forbade the erection of wharves, piers
warehouses tramways or other utilities on this
isiere and therefore mining, numbering and other
industries rendered impossible access TO the
sea being cut of. Every grant OF land there too
contained g clause subjecting it TO French treaty
rights and this warned OF capitalists, owing 20 the
insecurity OF title. Agriculture was retarded for
like reasons and to-day that vast stretch OF coun-
try perhaps the richest in the island remains un-
aeveloped because OF these subsidiary and vex-
atiou< issues which the French grated 10 their
original claim catch and dry fish.
Half century ago. when ten thousand FRENCH
men visited that and occupied between TWO
hundred and hfty and three hunoreo sta
lions there every summer there might have
,,een seine justification for the first claims
Bat since then the French have been gradually
ahandonirs the shore until last year they had
only so2 men and sixteen stations there. But II
was as their actual occupation declined that their
claims increased. every few years witnessing some
new demand their numbers showed an appre-
ciable shrinkage. until. some twenty years ago,
when a series OF poor catches caused the abandon
:nr Of several stations their government induced
them to the right to can Holsters. Newfound-
land contended they had right to do this under
the treaties IL involved permanent structures as
the earning process was In no way akin TO the dry
ing OF Goldfish. and Holsters. strictly speaking
were not fish. But they persisted. and eventually
got their way, being allowed TO embark in this bust
ness under modus vIvendi in conjunction with
people. those OF both nations operating
prior 1920 being recognized legal packers and
al others being forbidden to engage IN f. pending
an arbitration intended be held then 10 define
our respective rights but never since carried out.
THIS rnodus ylyendi affected the people on the