The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-10-18
SAFETY OF THE FISHERMEN
Plan to Protect Them While
Fishing Near Newfoundland.

France Asks United States to Coop
crate In Keeping Steamships OFF
Routes Which Would Prevent Cross
ing the Fishing Grounds From April
is to Oct. 10.
Through note addressed by the
French embassy in Washington to e.
T. Chamberlain, commissioner of navi-
CATION of the department of commerce
and labor, France has asked the CO.
operation of the United States, in the
name of humanity, in establishing the
ocean routes pursued by mail steamers
on the Atlantic in such manner as to
assure the safety Of fishermen on the
banks near Newfoundland says the
Washington correspondent of the New
York Herald NJ. Charles de Cham
brun, secretary of the French embassy,
had a conversation with Mr.. Chamber
lain upon the matter few weeks ago.
The question Of routes was first de
bated at the maritime conference held
In Washington in October, November
and December, 1889, but in the opinion
of the French nation its conclusions
were not wholly satisfactory i'll that
they did not thoroughly safeguard the
lives Of the fishermen, of whom the
note says there are each year about
10000 one-half Frenchmen and the
other half divided between Americans
and English.
The French ports in Newfoundland
have insisted upon France taking the
initiative in proposing to the govern
ments an agreement tending to forbid
the fast mail steamers crossing the
banks Of Newfoundland during the
cod fishing season, which Is from April
Is to Oct 10. Independently of any
action which the American, English,
German and Dutch nations may take,
France has In its extension of the mail
contract to the Compagnie Generate
Transatlantique inserted in the new
contract this provision;
The distance taken as a basis OF com
putation is the average fixed at 3,ln lau-
tical miles of actual course, corresponding
10 the various trips effected in the year
between Hayre and New York (meriAan
Of SANDY Hook, provided that the mail
steamers shall refrain from crossing the
Newfoundland banks between the 16th OF
April and the 18th of October, except
when compelled to do so by causes OF Wis
major. which shall be established by pro-
ducfng the log book. With the exception
of cases of Wis major, every crossing OF
the banks of Newfoundland by a man
steamer between the 18th OF April and the
18th of October will make the concession
naire liable to a fine of 2,O0G francs.
TT appears from the marine notices
Dublished by the British administra-
ton in 1891 says the French note
''that the English companies OF Liver
pool and the North German Lloyd nave
already adopted the routes, according
70 which their ships must from Jan.
to July IA of each year clear the SOUTH
ern prong Of the great bank OF New
foundland at a distance of about eight
miles and cannot go thence northWard
bevond a line running from that point
tn the western end of Sable island.
THE way to accomplish serious prog
ross toward the solution of the problem
would then be to secure from the sew
eraI American companies engaged IN
the fast mail service between Europe
and the northern United States OF
ao,1+Lorn Canada a renewed declara-
tion that they accept the above de-
scribed routes, with the amendment
that instead of causing them to be roi-
lowed by their ships until July IA III
elusive they should promise to DO so
until Oct. 1. or, at the very least untii
Sept. l. .,.+
I'm order to make cutie sure that
the route would be followed 1t would
be distinctly advisable to specify Iie