Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24
Issue Between Great Britain
and United States.
DISPUTE OVER FISHERIES
Views of Sir Edward Morris Regard
ing Privileges Accorded in New
foundland Waters.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
lew YORK, April 23,-Sir Edward Nor
ris, X C. NJ G. A, the premier OF New
foundland, arrived In New York today
and will sail for The Hague next We'd
nesday. At the Hoffman House he talk
ed about Newfoundland's attitude on
the fisheries question and reciprocity.
Sir Edward will represent the New
foundland interests at the hearing be-
fore the board of arbitration at The
Hague June 1, when the dispute between
Great Britain and the United States
over rights to fishing privileges on the
Newfoundland coast will be finally set
tied.
Question Under Dispute.
AS to the fisheries dispute. Sir Edward
said:
:, is really the question of the inter-
probation of an ordinary contract or
agreement, called treaty. made in 1918
between Great Britain and the United
States. Under that treaty the inhabitants
of the United States were given the right
to take fish on the west coast of New
foundland.
Newfoundland contends that this
right is confined to the inhabitants of
the United States and that they only can
fish. The United States says: No. We
can exercise this right through others.
We can go there in our vessels with a
crew of Swedes or Canadians or We can
employ Observation-Disclosures to take fish
for US. ="
Sir Edward said it seemed to him
a great thing that the dispute which
has lasted so long was to be settled by
arbitration and added:
Fifty years ago. or even less, such
dispute would probably have resulted
in war. But we are getting sensible, and
yet it was less matter that caused the
Russo-Turkish. the Franco-German and
the Spanish-American wars"
Favors Reciprocity.
Sir Edward said that in spite of the
failure of the treaties Of 1890 and 1902
to go into effect, Newfoundland today
favors reciprocity with the United States.
after reviewing the failure of those
treaties he said:
THE feeling ip Newfoundland is in
favor of reciprocity on certain questions
We have fish and minerals and paper and
pulp and we are looking for a market
In the United States. We have at the
present time more distant markets"
ION the other hand we take from the
United States over 100000 a year of
their products, and the greater portion
of these, such as -four, kerosene Oil,
ments, We have put on the free list and
In this way greatly benefited the United
states producers, whereas the United
States admits nothing from us duty free,
except it be some few items which they
admit raw for the purpose of manufac-
turing in the United States
Take this as an example of how we
have been legislated against. The United
States admits our seal skins if they come
in as raw material. If we manufacture
them there is a tariff wall against them
which makes Importation prohibitive. l
know no reason why we could not have
a commercial arrangement which would
be advantageous to both. We are neigh
bors, sprung practically from the same
race, and it ought not to be difficult to
have a working agreement.
Confederation More Difficult.
Asked how reciprocity with the United
States would affect the much-talked of
confederation of Newfoundland with
Canada, Sir Edward said:
I'm my opinion 1t would make the
confederation more difficult, If that is
possible. There is no feeling at present
In Newfoundland in favor OF the con-
federation. The feeling Is that New
foundland should work out her own des-
tiny.
we can offer immigrants not prairie
lands. but freeholds, with equally at
tractive surroundings. There are mil
lions of acres in Newfoundland today
capable OF producing every crop produc-
ed in the state of New York. We have
probably the finest pulp paper areas in
the world. Four years ago Lord North
cliffe proprietor of the London Times
and Daily Mail, came to Newfoundland
and acquired some miles of forest land.
Today the Times and Daily Mail are
being printed on paper made from the
forests OF Newfoundland. Now there are
twenty paper and pulp propositions in
Newfoundland only waiting the enter
prise and capital. such as Lord North
cIiffe brought, to establish similar In
dustries."