DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 839 



We appreciate perfectly the desire of His Majesty's Government 

 to prevent Sunday fishing. But if both this and purse-seine fishing 

 are taken away, as things stand there might be no opportunity for 

 profitable fishing left under our Treaty rights. We are convinced 

 that purse seines are no more injurious to the common fishery than 

 the gill nets commonly used are not, in fact, so destructive and do 

 not tend to change the migratory course of the herring as gill nets 

 do, through the death of a large percentage of the catch and conse- 

 quent pollution of the water. 



The small amount of purse-seining this season could not of course 

 materially affect the common fishery anyway. Besides many of our 

 fishermen have already sailed, with purse seines as usual, and the 

 others are already provided with them. This use of the purse seine 

 was not the free choice of our fishermen. They have been driven to 

 it by local Regulations, and the continued use of it at this late date 

 this year seems vital. 



But we will renounce Sunday fishing for this season if His Majes- 

 ty's Government will consent to the use of purse seines, and we can- 

 not too strongly urge an acceptance of this solution. 



No. 251. 1906) September 20: Letter from Sir. Edward Grey to 



Sir. M. Durand. 



FOREIGN OFFICE, September 20, 1906. 



Sir, The American Ambassador called at this Office to-day, and 

 requested an early reply to the Memorandum communicated by his 

 Excellency on the 12th instant respecting the proposed modus Vivendi 

 in regard to the Newfoundland Fishery question. 



His Excellency was informed that His Majesty's Government were 

 doing all that they could do to expedite an early and satisfactory 

 reply, that they were pressing the Newfoundland Government to 

 authorize temporarily the use of purse seines, on the understanding 

 that care would be taken not to interfere with other modes of fishing, 

 and that they hoped that, if this were agreed to, the United States' 

 Government would do all in their power to discourage and prevent 

 the engagement of Newfoundland fishermen just outside the 3-mile 

 limit. 



Mr. Whitelaw Reid said that he would telegraph in this sense to 

 his Government. 

 I am, &c. 



(Signed) EDWARD GREY. 



No. 252. 1906, September 25: Memorandum communicated by His 

 Majesty's Government to Mr. Whitelaw Reid. 



His Majesty's Government have considered, after consultation with 

 the Government of New Foundland, the proposals put forward in 

 the Memorandum communicated by the United States' Ambassador 

 on the 12th instant respecting the suggested modus Vivendi in regard 

 to the Newfoundland fishery question. 



