711.428/565
Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge to the Acting Secretary of
State
Washington, May 7,
1919.
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,
[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.]
