THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1899.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 10311, 19 June 1899, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1899.

The high-handed way in which the Danes have treated British fishermen pursuing their industry on the coast of Iceland seems one of the roost unjust and arbitrary of proceedings Considering the long [and friendly relations that have existed between Britain and Denmark, the action of the latter seems quite inexplicable*. Equally difficult is it to understand how the matter has been treated so calmly by the injured party. Had British fishermen been treated so barbarously by the authorities of America or any of the Great Power 3 of the Old World, a good deal of strong

language would have been used, with much talk of insulted dignity and extreme measures being rendered necessary. The Danes seem to have been guilty of a breach of inter-, national law in fixing the coast line beyond which foreigners must not come ten miles farther seaward than is customary without consultation with the countries interested or by notifying foreign fishermen of the change. Three miles is the usual limit in such cases, and when the Danes took the lib°rty of extending the line some ten mile?, as they appear to have done, they encroach on what is the common property of all other nations. Several instances of the unjust treatment'inflicted by Danish gun boats onforeign fisherman have been reported, without evoking any protest on the part of Britain with the exception of sending a chip of wa"r to the station. The latest instance of such tyranny recorded in the English Press is that Skipper £tee* eS tke a*im»\»jr tiAWlitf GervUß

who has arrived home after being oaptured at Iceland, states that while passing a fjord at Faroe on the 10th inst. a Danish guuboat came up and arrested him for fishing within the limit. He denied the accusation, and the Danish commander leplied that the information had been given by a small boat. The trawler was taken to Thorshavn, where Freer was kept outside the Court for five hours guarded by gendarmes. On being ultimately brought to trial he was advised to plead guilty in order to save further trouble. This he declined to do, and the sheriff intimated that the case would be adjourned until the following J day, and that if the skipper still declined to admit his guilt the trawler would be sold. Freer thereupon pleaded guilty and was fined LBO, the whole of the gear and the catch of fish ! (which comprised 100 boxes of varied ! fish, 20 score of cod, ling, and one ton of salt fish) being also confiscated, i The fine and confiscation represented a loss of at least LSOO. He was then liberated. He adds that the Danish officers ransacked his cabins and the bunker coal to discover fishing lines. While in Iceland Freer asked to see Skipper Johnson, of the Caspian, who is now undergoing 30 days' imprisonment there. Johnson, says Freer is a perfect wreck and only just able to stand, and on five .days, a week is restricted to a bread and water diet. Such barbarity would seem almost incredible, especially as it has roused so little interest on. the part of the Home authorities. This is a case that would seem to eminently require being looked i into with the view to ." redress. We are much afraid that the British Foreign Office is rather given to taking a nap some times. : The Times the other day felt called upon to condemn the vague and inconsistent policy pursued by the Salisbury Government in China.— and not without reason. <