711.428/553
The British Appointed Ambassador (Grey) to the Secretary of
State
Washington, November 10,
1919.
Sir: With reference to the recent
conference held between United States officials and Sir Douglas
Hazen in connection with various fisheries questions pending between
the United States and the Government of Canada, I have the honour to
transmit to you, herewith, copy of a draft treaty which I have
received from the Governor General of Canada.25 I should be much obliged if you would
be good enough to inform me in due course whether the terms of this
draft are acceptable to the United States Government.
In this connection I have the honour to enclose a copy of a Minute of
the Canada Privy Council, dated the 27th of September, which has I
understand already been communicated by Sir Douglas Hazen to your
Department. It will be observed that in this Minute the Government
of Canada express the view that it is important to make the full
fish supply of the adjacent waters of the two countries freely
available for the people of both countries, and recommend that the
arrangement now proposed for the free shipment of fresh fish should
be extended to fish packed in ice, canned, salted or preserved in
any form, and also shell fish of all kinds, in the shell, canned or
in bulk, including the container in all these cases.
The Dominion Authorities will be very glad to learn whether the
conclusion of arrangements on the lines indicated would be
acceptable [Page 265] to the United
States Government and I should be obliged for any information on
this point which you may be able to give them.
I have [etc.]
(For H. M. Ambassador)
R. C.
Lindsay
[Enclosure]
Minute of the Privy Council for Canada,
Approved September 27, 1919
The Committee of the Privy Council have had before them a report,
dated 22nd September, 1919, from the Secretary of State for
External Affairs, submitting with reference to the Minute of
Council of March 11th, 1919, (P.C. 506)26 which laid down
the views of the Government on the Report, dated September 6th,
1918, of the Canadian American Fisheries Conference, that these
views were communicated to the Government of the United States,
and as a result one of the recommendations of the Conference has
been finally disposed of by the conclusion and signature at
Washington on September 2nd, 1919, of a Treaty between Canada
and the United States concerning the sockeye salmon fisheries of
the Fraser River System. There remains for final settlement a
treaty or treaties covering the other recommendations of the
Conference, and it is desirable that this settlement should be
reached at an early date.
The Minister observes that in this connection it appears
expedient that the Minute of Council of March 11th should be
modified in so far as it concerned the recommendation of the
Conference relative to the removal of the duty on fresh and
frozen fish. Having regard to the importance of making the food
fish supply of the adjacent waters freely available for the
people of both countries as soon as possible, the Prime Minister
is of opinion that the recommendation of the Conference in this
respect should be accepted.
The Prime Minister therefore recommends that negotiations be
undertaken with the Government of the United States for
extending the proposed arrangement to fish packed in ice,
canned, salted or preserved in any form and also shell-fish of
all kinds, in the shell, canned or in bulk, including the
container in all these cases; and that the Honourable Sir John
Douglas Hazen be authorized to conduct such negotiations.
The Prime Minister further recommends that the Honourable Sir
John Douglas Hazen be authorized, on behalf of the Government of
Canada, to negotiate as soon as possible with the Government of
the [Page 266] United States a
further treaty or treaties on the basis aforesaid, and that the
said Sir John Douglas Hazen be authorized to sign such treaty or
treaties on behalf of the Dominion of Canada.
The Committee concur in the foregoing recommendation and submit
the same for approval.
