New-York tribune., 1910-04-27
TELLSOF FISHERY FRICTION
Newfoundland Premier BlameS
Gloucester Interests.
ON HIS WAY TO THE HAGUE
British Consul Among Speakers
at Dinner in Honor OF Sir
Edward Morris.

Sir Edward Morris. Premier or Newfound-
land was the guest at a dinner in the
Hoffman House last night of fellow coun-
tr,,-psn who have settled i'm this city. Sir
Edward is to sail to-day for The Hague,
where he will represent Newfoundland In
the settlement of the fishery rights dispute
between his colony and the United States.
on this subject he said TO the diners:
7, is not unnatural that we should have
friction in regard to our fishery rights.
American citizens. under the treaty OF
1918. are granted certain hshing rign's IL. IL,
the western waters of Newfoundland, but
i'm course of time they came to desire more
extensive rights than the treaty allowed
5hem. Newfoundland conceded these ior
many years and meanwhile proposed a
reciprocity arrangement The Gloucester
fishing interests. which are one of the best
organized trusts in this country. strenu,
ously resisted any such concession. ana
everybody knows the interest that Glouces-
ter wields at Washington, through the
mistake which nothing can eradicate from
the minds of the statesmen there that the
Gloucester fleet is the nursery OF the
American navy. -.
The logic Of facts and the statistics OF
enrolment prove cOnclusively that this IS
mere delusion. but none the less amid
politicians who will not study the Facts
the theory. still obtains. and, because IL
is feared that the enrolment for the navy
would be reduced. the Gloucester people
are able to Get their own way.
When Newfoundland was rebuhed IN the
matter of reciprocity, she retaliated Dy
withdrawing these extra concessions ana
limiting our fishermen TO their treaty
rights. We thereupon disputed Newfounu-
lands view of what constituted our treaty
rights and for the last four years there
has been a spirited contest in regard To
the herring fishery prosecuted on the west
coast of that island every winter.
1t has now been arranged TO submit tne
whole question 10 the Hague tribunal, ana
as Canada is likewise interested, she mas
sos,, -, ha arhf
course. as the treaty was made with Great
Britain, that country has TO stand as the
chief contestant on behalf OF her two COLO
I think that Newfoundland will ultimate
IL be supplying the United states with an
enormous additional quantity OF nsh' sho
believe that this will prove one or the chleI
factors in solving the problem OF the III
creased cost of living in this country
Sir Edward predicted a great era OF
prosperity for the island colony in the near
future emphasizing the growth In its agri-
culture and grazing industries and the pos
sibilities in its mineral resources.
The first toast proposed was one TO the
President of the United States. which was
drunk standing. In responding TO this
toast J. r. Maxwell. of The London
Times" said the present President was "a
large subject" as was also the former
President. but in a different sense.
1T remained for The Times said he.
ITO come to the defence of President Taft.
asking the American people TO defer their
Judgment of him until such time as he had
had time to work out his policies We are
now looking forward to four years OF such
prosperity as President Taft so wonderfully
portrays i'm his own person"
Courtenay NJ. Bennett. British Consul
General in New York, responded TO toast
to the health of King Edward. saying:
I'VE have now drunk toasts TO the rulers
Of the United States and Great Britain
with equal cordislity. One is a complement
of the other. The policy Of the two coun-
tries is absolutely the same. They have
the same ideas of law and order and JUS
tiCe.
Years ago there were several causes OF
dispute between the two countries. They
have now been smoothed away. and for
this result we owe a great debt Of gratitude
to the tact of Ambassador Bryce. a few
weeks ago a serious trouble with Canada
threatened over the question Of the tariff.
That has been settled to the satisfaction of
both countries You have heard the old
adage. 'A bad settlement is always better
than q good lawsuit -