711.428/565

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge to the Acting Secretary of State

Personal

Dear Mr. Polk: I owe you an apology for the length of time which I have kept the Canadian treaty with reference to the fisheries, but the fact is I did not wish to give an opinion upon it until I had consulted the fishing interests which are chiefly centered at Gloucester in my state. I therefore turned it over to the Congressman from that district, Mr. Lufkin, who was born at Gloucester and lives in the neighboring town of Essex, and I enclose a letter from him which I have just received. As soon as he returns I shall ask him to go up and see you and talk the whole matter over with you. …

. . . . . . .

Very truly yours,

H. C. Lodge
[Enclosure]

Representative W. W. Lufkin to Senator Henry Cabot Lodge

My Dear Mr. Lodge: I am returning you herewith the proposed treaty between Great Britain and the United States of America concerning port privileges of fishing vessels, which you were kind enough to send me sometime ago, and beg to apologize for the length of time which I have kept it. I have had three different meetings with the vessel owners and representatives of the Master Mariners Association of Gloucester in connection with this proposed treaty. There is a wide difference of opinion among the Gloucester people [Page 243] as to the wisdom of continuing this arrangement, although I think it extremely unlikely that those vessel owners who do not like the idea of this new treaty will actively oppose it.

The situation is as follows:—For years the owners of Gloucester fishing vessels have been demanding more privileges in the Nova Scotian ports. This treaty, of course, gives them these privileges; but with the coming of the beam trawlers, the American fishermen are making less and less use of these Nova Scotian harbors, preferring to carry their supplies with them from home. On the one hand, it is rumored that Canada is about to build a fleet of beam trawlers, and the local fish men rather fear competition from this source with no duty and with our ports thrown wide open to these Canadian ships. On the other hand, the men who are using the old time fishing vessels are in favor of the treaty, as they still continue to go into Nova Scotian ports for certain supplies, etc.

When I get back to Washington, I shall take the liberty of calling and discussing this matter with you a little more in detail.

Hoping [etc.]

W. W. Lufkin