711.428/519
The Acting Secretary of State to the British Chargé (Barclay)
Sir: With reference to your note of May 20, 1919, enclosing copies of an Approved Minute of the Privy Council for Canada, recommending, with certain slight modifications mentioned in said Minute, the acceptance of the draft Convention between Great Britain and the United States concerning the sockeye salmon fisheries, submitted to you in my note of March 21, 1919, I have the honor to say on behalf of the Government of the United States that there is no objection to the amendments suggested with the exception of the first amendment. It is suggested in the Minute that the words “President of the United States” be substituted for the words “the United States” in the preamble of the Convention, but in accordance with the practice in treaties negotiated by my Government in the past, the preamble should read as stated in my note of March 21, 1919, “The United States of America, and His Majesty, George V,” et cetera.
The American members of the American Canadian Fisheries Conference have called attention to the fact that in Section VI of the regulations attached to the Convention, it is provided that the annual closed season from July 20 to July 31 shall be effective during the years 1919 to 1926, both inclusive, and that since it may be impossible to put the Convention and the regulations in force before July 20, 1919, it may be well to change the period to run from 1920 to 1927, both years inclusive.
I understand that this point has been taken up informally by Doctor Hugh M. Smith, former American member of the Conference, and Mr. William A. Found, Superintendent of Fisheries of Canada, and that they favor this change. I accordingly suggest that the first sentence of Section VI of the regulations contain the dates “1920 to 1927” instead of “1919 to 1926.”
[Page 227]Will you kindly inform me whether the conclusion regarding the two points above mentioned meets with the approval of your Government.
Accept [etc.]