Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-03

ing and preserving the American fur
seal herd and for increasing its number
This is question requiring examination
of the present condition of the herd ana
the treatment which it needs in the light
Of actual experience and scientific tnvestl-
CATION. careful examination of the
subject is now being made. and this gov
eminent will soon be in possession OF
considerable amount of new information
about the American seal herd, which has
been secured during the past season and
will be of great value in determining this
question, and If it should appear that
there is any uncertainty as to the real
necessity for imposing close season at
this time I shall take an early opportunity
to address a special message to Congress
on this subject in the belief that this
government SHOULD yield on this point
rather than give the slightest ground for
the charge that we have been In any
way remiss in observing our treaty OBJ
legations.
''On tho Goth Of July last an agreement
was concluded between the United States
and Great Britain
Settlement of adopting, with
Fisheries Dispute. tons the ' ruIes
and method Of procedure recommended in
he'award rendered by the north Atlantic
coast fisheries arbitration tribunal on
September Z. 1910. for the settlement
hereafter, in. accordance with the princi-
pies laid down in the award. of questions
arising with reference to the exercise Of
the American fishing liberties under ar
toll oF he $vao 90 nn<~ 6o,~
between the United States and Great
approval of the Senate on August 1 and
was formally ratified by the two govern
mentS on November 10 last. The rules
and method of procedure embodied in
the award provided for determining by
an impartial tribunal the reasonableness
Of any new fishery regulations on the
treaty coasts of Newfoundland and Can
ada before such regulations could be en-
forced against American fishermen eX-
ercising their treaty liberties on those
limitation of bays on such coasts more
than ten miles wide, in accordance with
the definition adopted by the tribunal of
the meaning of the word bays as used
in the treaty. In the subsequent negOtia-
tons between the two governments, I'M
dertaken for the purpose of giving prac-
teal effect to these rules and methods Of
procedure, 1t was found that certain
notifications therein were desirable from
the point Of view of both governments,
and these negotiations have finally result
ed in the agreement above mentioned. by
which the award recommendations as
modified by mutual consent of the two
governments are finally adopted and
made effective, thus bringing this CEN
tury-old controversy to final conclusion,
which is equally beneficial and salts
factory to both governments.
I'm order to make possible the more eff
fective performance of the work neces-
sary for the confine
Imperial Valley ment in their present
channel of the waters
oAu NAoAASo' of the lower Colo
RADIO river, and thus to protect the people
of the Imperial valley, as we'll as in order
an understanding regarding the distribu-
ton Of the waters of the Colorado river,
in which both governments are much in
terested, negotiations are going forward
with a view to the establishment of a
preliminary Colorado river commission.
which shall have the powers necessary to
enable it to do the needful work and with
authority to study the question of the
equitable distribution of the waters.
There is every reason to believe that an
upon this point will be
reached and that an agreement will be
signed in the near future.
In the interest Of the people and city
of FL Paso this government has been as
siduous in its efforts to bring
5hamiZal to an early settlement the
D.A long-standing ChamiZal dis
OASP"'o' pute with Mexico. Much has
been accomplished, and while the final
solution of the dispute is not immediate,
the favorable attitude lately assumed by
the Mexican government encourages the
nope that this troublesome question will
be satisfactorily and definitively settled at
an early day.
X
I'm pursuance of the convention of Au-
gust y, 1906, signed at the third Pan
Anne a n conference,
Commission held at Rio de Janeiro,
the International commits
VI "uAAS1S' sion of jurists met at that
capital during the month of last June At
this meeting sixteen American republics
were represented, including the United
States, and comprehensive plans for the
future work OF the commission were
adopted At the next meeting, fixed for
June, 1914, committees already appointed
are instructed to report regarding topics
assigned to them.
y
I'm my message on foreign relations
to the two houses OF Con-
gress Decem-
Failure to Enact Anti Der I. 1911. I
Opium Legislation. attention to
the assembling Of the opium confer
ence at The Hague to the fact that
that conference was to review all
pertinent municipal laws relating to the
opium and allied evils, and certainly all
rules regarding these evils.
and to the fact that it seemed to me most
essential that the Congress should take
immediate action on the anti-narcotic
legislation before the Congress, to which
had previously called attention by
special message.
THE International convention adopted
by the conference conforms almost en-