The Washington herald., 1911-01-07
! TRADE CONFERENCES
WILL BEGIN TO-DAY
Canadians Arrive to Open
Negotiations.
MEET TAFT THIS MORNING
w. s. FieldinE Minister of Finance,
and William Patterson, Minister of
Customs of Dominion Govern me nj !.
Will Treat for Industrial anS
Agricultural Reciprocity.

Formal negotiations of a proposed reci-
procity convention between the United
States and Canada will be begun to-day
w. S. Fielding, minister of finance, and
William Patterson, minister of customs
the two Canadian negotiatOrs, arrived in
Washington last night. They both de-
clined to discuss the prospective negotia-
tions. They will be presented to President
Taft at the White House by Secretary OF
State Knox at II O. clock this morning.
This afternoon the discussion of the
subject will be begun. The American
negotiators will be Chandler p Anderson
counselor of the State Department. and
Charles NJ. Pepper. commercial expert
of the Bureau of Trade Relations. 1t is
likely that Secretary Knox will preside al
to-day's session.
The conferences are a resumption of
the negotiations begun in Ottawa last
September. 1t is expected that the con-
ferenceS will last several weeks PreSi-
dent Tart will give state dinner at the
White House next Wednesday in honor
of the Canadian visitors. Earl Grey,
governor general. and Sir Wilfrid Lau-
rer, premier of the Dominion of Canada,
have been invited to attend the dinner.
Another important Canadian question
Will Col1le DtlOTe tHe Sldtt
ment shortly will be the reaSonabeness
OF the Newfoundland fishery regulations.
This question was brought about by the
recent decision of The Hague Court IN
the North Atlantic fishery case, which
provided joint commission of experts
to pass upon the reasonableness of the
existing regulations.
The Newfoundland government, how
ever, suggested that a more expeditions
settlement could be reached if the rca-
sonableneSs of the existing regulations
were discussed by direct negotiations.
Secretary Knox accepted this proposal.
Sir Alan AyleSWorth, minister of justice,
and l.. p. Brodeur, minister of marine
and fisheries. of Newfoundland, will come
to Washington next week to discuss the
existing regulations with officers of the
State Department.
For several weeks the department has
been gathering the opinions of the Amer
lean fishermen on nthe present fishing
regulations in preparation of the visit
of the Newfoundland officers
Hope to Reach Agreement.
Officers of the State Department who
will take part in the reciprocity negotia-
tions are hopeful of reaching mutually
satisfactory agreement, which will form
the basis of a reciprocity treaty between
tine two countries.
The Canadian representatives will en-
deavor to obtain a market in this coun-
try for their agricultural products. and
live stock. On the other hand the United
states will attempt to obtain a reduction
IN the duties on manufactured products
including agricultural machinery and i'm
ptements and other important manufac-
tured articles which would be marketable
in Canada Manufacturers in New Eng
land and in the Puget Sound region are
in favor of "a reduction of the duty on
Canadian coal. The duties on lumber.
pulp wood, and wood pulp will probably
also figure i'm The negotiations.
The proposal of the United States was
laid before the Dominion government at
the conferences last September in OF
tawa- The officers of the Canadian gov
ernment has considered the details of
The American proposal for several
months. and in the conferences beginning
to-day will lay before this government
their reply AS soon as the details of
the Canadian reply have been explained
the actual work of reaching an agreement
as TO the different schedules will begin.
The party is stopping at the Shoreham,
and includes, besides Mr.. Fielding and
MIR. Patterson, Mrs. Fielding. Miss Edith
Fielding. Mrs. Patterson, j. A. Russell,
II. V. Rorke, and r. B. Viets