The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

message. read TO congress, President.
Taft said:
To the Senate and the House of Rep
resentatives:
The relations Of the United States
with all foreign governments have con-
tinued upon the normal basis of amity
and good understanding and are very
generally satisfactory.
Europe
The American rights Tin the fisheries
on the north Atlantic COAST under the
fisheries article of the treaty of 1918
have been a cause Of difference be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain for nearly seventy years. The
interests involved are of great Impor-
lance to the American fishing industry,
and the final settlement of the contro-
versy Thy the permanent court of ar
hitration at The Haguel viii remove
a source of constant irritation and com.
plant. This is the first case involving
such great international questions
which has been submitted to the per-
manent court of arbitration at The
Hague.
The convention providing for the set
Element of international differences be-
tween the United States and Canada,
including the apportionment between
the two countries of certain of the
boundary waters and the appointment
of commissioners to adjust certain
other questions, signed on the 18th day
of January, 1909, and to the ratifica-
ton of which the senate gave it's adj
vice and consent on March 3, 1909, has
not yet been ratified on the part of
Great Britain.
Negotiations for an International
conference to consider and reach an
arrangement providing for the preser-
walton and protection of the fur seals
In the north Pacific are In progress
with the governments of Great Britain,
Japan and Russia. The attitude of
the governments interested leads me
to hope for a satisfactory settlement of
this question as the ultimate outcome
of the negotiations.
Pursuant to an invitation OF Great
Britain conference was held at Lon
don from Dec. 2, 1908, to Feb. 20, 1909,
in which the Following powers partic-
ipated; The United States, Austria,
Hungary, France, Germany, Great
Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands,
Russia and Spain. The conference re-
suited in the declaration of London,
unanimously agreed to and signed by
the participating powers, concerning,
among other matters, the highly inn
portant subjects of blockade, contra
bard, the destruction of neutral prizes
and continuous voyages
The cordial invitation of Belgium to
be represented by a fitting display of
American progress in the useful arts
and inventions at the worlds fair to
be held at Brussels in 1910 remains to
be acted upon by the congress. 1 re-
new the recommendation heretofore
made that provision be made for &C
ceptance of the invitation and ade-
quate representation in the exposition
The question arising out Of the Bel
gian annexation of the Independent
State Of the Kongo, which has so long
and earnestly preoccupied the atten-
ton of this government and enlisted
the sympathy of our best citizens, is
still open, but in a more hopeful stage.
The announced programs of reforms,
striking at many of the evils known
to exist, are an augury Of better
things.
A convention between the United
States and Germany, under which the
nonworking provisions of the German
patent law are made inapplicable to
the patents of American citizens, was
concluded on Feb %, 1909, and is now
in force. Negotiations for similar con-
ventions looking to the placing of
American inventors on the same foot
ing as nationals have recently been
initiated with other European govern
nents whose laws require the local
working of foreign patents.
Under an appropriation made at the
last session of the congress commits
sion was sent on American cruisers
to Monrovia to investigate the interests
of the United States and its citizens in
Liberia. The report of our commits
sioners has just been completed and is
now under examination by the depart
ment of state. 1t is hoped that there
may result some helpful measures, in
which case it may be my duty again
to invite your attention to this subject.
The Norwegian government, by a
note addressed on Jan. 20, 1909, to the
department Of state, conveyed an invi-
tation to the government of the United
States to take part in conference
which it4is understood will be held in
February or March, 1910, for the pur-
pose of devising means to remedy ex-
listing conditions in the Spitzbergen
islands.
This invitation was conveyed under
the reservation that the question of
altering, the status of the islands as
countries belonging to no particular
state and as equally open to the citi-
zens and subjects of all states should
not be raised
The department of state, in view of
proofs fled with it In 1906, showing
the American possession, occupation
and working of certain coal bearing
lands in Spitzbergen, accepted the in
vitation under the reservation above
stated and under the further reserva-
ton that all interests In those islands
already vested should be protected
and that there should be equality OF
opportunity for the future.
The Near East.
The quick transition of the govern
a.