The Counselor for the Department of State ( Polk) to the Secretary of Commerce ( Redfield)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The Secretary of State received your letter of June 21, quoting a communication from the Commissioner of Fisheries in regard to the desirability of haying a conference called for the consideration of fishery questions pending between the United States and Canada. You requested that, if it seemed advisable to Mr. Lansing, he signify to the appropriate British authorities that it would be agreeable to this Government to hold a conference on the general subject of fisheries, during the present summer.
I am charged by the Secretary of State to say, in reply, that he desires to be informed more fully as to whether it is proposed at this conference to do more than gather data, exchange views, and make recommendations in regard to the fishery questions pending between the two countries, and their satisfactory solution. If this is all that it is intended to do, there may be no objection to such a conference during the summer; but if it is proposed to negotiate an agreement between the two Governments, it will be necessary to have a representative of the Department of State attend the conference, which could hardly be arranged for at the present time.
I am [etc.]