970 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



profitable to the local fishermen, and it has been for the Americans a 

 satisfactory substitute for the exercise of their Treaty right to catch 

 the fish themselves. It is, indeed, not unnatural that these fisher- 

 men should struggle in every way open to them to prevent the loss 

 of their means of support, and that if they cannot control their own 

 Government so as to secure permission to sell herring and bait, they 

 should seek to prevent the Americans from taking the bait, in the 

 hope that as the result of that prevention, their profitable trade may 

 be restored. 



The Resolution which I have quoted referring to the Fortune Bay 

 case is a clear threat of violence to prevent the exercise of the Treaty 

 right. If the threat should be carried out it is too much to expect 

 that some at least of the American fishermen will not refuse to yield 

 to lawless force which seeks to deprive them of their rights and of 

 their means of livelihood. 



We shall do everything in our power to prevent such a collision, 

 and we should indeed deeply deplore it, but the true and effective 

 method of prevention plainly must be the exercise of proper control 

 by the Government of Newfoundland over the fishermen of New- 

 foundland, and it seems to me that the danger is sufficiently real and 

 imminent to justify me in asking that the Government of Great 

 Britain shall take speedy steps to bring about the exercise of such 

 control. 



I have, &c. (Signed) ELIHU ROOT. 



Sir H. M. Durand to Mr. Root. 



BRITISH EMBASSY, 

 Washington, October 20, 1905. 



SIR : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch 

 dated the 19th of October, regarding the Newfoundland fishery 

 question. 



I do not think it desirable at present to make any detailed observa- 

 tions on this dispatch, but I have sent a copy to His Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment and to the governor of Newfoundland. 



I note with satisfaction that the Government of the United States 

 will do everything in their power, as we on our side shall certainly do, 

 to prevent any collision between American fishermen and those of 

 Newfoundland, and I trust that they will also do everything in their 

 power to prevent the occurrence of any other untoward incident 

 pending inquiry into the question of the Newfoundland "Act respect- 

 ing foreign fishing vessels," and the supposed misapprehension on the 

 part of certain Newfoundland officials with regard to the status of 

 vessels on the American register. 



The Government of the United States can not doubt the desire of 

 His Majesty's Government to adhere strictly to all treaty provisions, 

 and all that seems required in order to bring about a satisfactory con- 

 clusion in a case of this nature is the exercise by those concerned, on 

 both sides, of patience and temper in the assertion of what they con- 

 ceive to be their rights. It would be most unfortunate if the case 

 were to be complicated by any precipitate action on the part of Amer- 

 ican fishermen or local officials. I will do all I can to prevent such 



