711.428/804

The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Howard )

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note No. 439, of May 16, 1924, in further reference to the Convention for the preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean signed by representatives of the United States and Great Britain on March 2, 1923, and to legislation which the Government of Canada has under consideration in connection with the protection of the halibut fishery.

The reference in the first paragraph of your note to the purpose of the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate to bring the Halibut Fishery Convention up for reconsideration by the Senate as soon as he is informed that the Canadian Parliament has passed the legislation represents inaccurately the circumstance as stated in my note of May 12 that the Chairman of the Committee will take such action as soon as the legislation has become law. It may be that this discrepancy of statement is of little practical importance since from the statements in your note it appears that the Royal assent is regarded as a formality of the execution of which there is no uncertainty.

I am bringing your statement of the situation to the attention of the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations for his consideration.

Accept [etc.]

Charles E. Hughes