288 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



extent, by Usage established a law for themselves, which, 

 although it is occasionally disturbed by the jealousy exist- 

 ing between trawlers and drifters, and trawlers and liners, 

 on the whole works satisfactorily. There are, however, 

 exceptions, and notably amongst these, there is need for an 

 Anglo-Dutch convention. An efficient maritime police, 

 sanctioned by the nations on either side the North Sea, is 

 necessary for the protection of our East Coast fishermen. 

 The latter have long been harassed by the thefts of nets 

 perpetrated by the Dutch, and by the wanton destruction 

 occasioned by " Belgian devils " infernal machines in the 

 form of anchors, which some foreign trawlers maliciously 

 drag through English drift-nets for the purpose of destroy- 

 ing or stealing them. Our own fishermen, in their disputes 

 with these foreign offenders, may not invariably be in the 

 right, but facts, so far as they are already known, certainly 

 point to the greater wrong being on the side of the 

 foreigners. A convention exists between France and 

 England, and disputes between French and English fisher- 

 men are rare : no convention exists between England and 

 Holland for the protection of sea fisheries, and disputes 

 between English and Dutch fishermen are constant. 



The mere fact of the signing of a Convention cannot, in 

 itself, make it of any practical use, even when each signa- 

 tory Government conscientiously desires its success. It is 

 dependent on two circumstances : firstly, on the power 

 which the combined Governments may be able to exercise 

 in order to enforce it ; and secondly, and chiefly, on the 

 mutual forbearance of the fishermen belonging to either 

 country in their relations with each other internationally, 

 and amongst themselves as fellow-countrymen. The for- 

 bearance of fishermen will regulate their conduct in pro- 

 portion to their accurate understanding of what is a just 



