Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 5, 1905

Chargé Carter to the Secretary of State.

American Embassy,
London, December 29, 1905.

No. 118.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a translation of my cablegram of the 28th instant and also a copy of a memorandum handed me by Sir Edward Grey in reply to my note of the 18th instant, all in connection with the Newfoundland fisheries question.

From the memorandum in question it will be seen that Mr. O’Reilly, the inspector of the Newfoundland customs, who had spent ten days among the fishing smacks at Bay of Islands, reported that though fishing nets and tackle had been lost through stress of weather no willful destruction of any kind had taken place, and that on the contrary the fishermen were all quiet and on friendly terms and in fact no antagonistic feeling whatever existed between the Newfoundlanders and the American fishermen.

I have, etc.,

John Ridgely Carter.

[Inclosure.]

Memorandum.

Foreign Office,
London, December 27, 1905.

His Majesty’s Government have received by telegraph from Sir W. MacGregor, the governor of Newfoundland, a reply to their inquiry concerning the complaint that American fishing nets and fishing tackle had been maliciously damaged or interfered with by Newfoundland fishermen.

His excellency states that he is able emphatically to contradict this rumor. Inspector O’Reilly, who had spent ten days among the fishing smacks at Bay of Islands, reported that though fishing nets and tackle had been lost through stress of weather or inexperience, no willful destruction of any kind had taken place. On the contrary, the fishermen were all quiet and on friendly terms. The magistrate at Bonne Bay reported that he had received no complaints and that he was unaware of any willful damage having been inflicted.

Sir W. MacGregor’s statement is corroborated by the officer commanding His Majesty’s ship Latona, who reports that after a gale at the beginning of December rumors of willful damage had been spread. Investigations had, however, resulted in eliciting the fact that many nets had, owing to the gale, been dragged and fouled and in some cases had been cut to clear them. This was due in some measure to the inexperience of the United States fishermen, who were unaccustomed to the herring fishery. There was no antagonistic feeling whatever between the subjects of the respective countries.

Note.—To be continued in Foreign Relations, 1906.