The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Commerce ( Redfield)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I have received your letter of October 4, 1917, in which, referring to your letters of June 21 and July 16, 1917, you state that in your opinion it is important that the present time of rapprochement should be utilized to settle a number of questions regarding the Atlantic and Pacific fisheries, now pending between the United States and Great Britain, and urge that arrangements be made for an early conference regarding these matters between representatives of this Government and of the Government of Canada.
In reply I beg to inform you that I recently took occasion to speak about this matter to the British Ambassador, who stated that he would at once take the matter up with his Government with a view to arranging for a conference of this character. I also spoke to the President about it and he expressed his approval of such a conference.
The British Ambassador is now out of the city, but I shall not fail to advise you as soon as we shall have arrived at a definite understanding regarding the matter.
Sincerely yours,