176 WITH MR, CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



I was told by a very distinguished American poli- 

 tician that I should find one of the great difficulties 

 in the way consisted in this : that the fishery ques- 

 tion was, as you have said, sir, so paltry a matter — 

 that is in comparison with the great American 

 interests with which this country has to deal ; that 

 it was a question which politicians would think it 

 safe to play with. Believe me, gentlemen, there 

 can be no greater mistake than that. (Loud 

 applause.) The question which arouses national 

 sentiment is not a question to be trifled with. The 

 worst wars which have disgraced humanity have 

 proceeded from trifling causes. Nations are very 

 often more apt to resent petty affronts and in- 

 juries than they are a serious invasion of national 

 rights. 



And, gentlemen, this was the state of things with 

 which the plenipotentiaries of the two countries had 

 to deal, when three months ago they met for the first 

 time at Washington, and this is the state of things 

 to which there are people in both countries who 

 apparently desire to return. If we had treated our 

 responsibility as lightly as some of those who 

 criticise the result of our labours, we should have 

 long ago relinquished our task in despair. 



CONTENDING VIEWS AND CONFLICTING INTERESTS 



You will readily believe that it was not an easy 

 task for us to reconcile contending views and con- 

 flicting interests. Both sides believed that they 

 were absolutely and entirely right. Both sides in 



