New-York tribune., 1888-08-31
FUN FOR BRITISH POACHEk.
TREATY NEGOTIATIONS GAVE THEM FINE
CHANCES IN AMERICAN SEAS
PROTECTION or THE SEAL FisugRIEs RxLAxED n
THE EBAvARD-cHAMByRLAfN ERA.

fRr rgLEoRAru TO rWg rRfsUys.
Washington, Aug 30.-Much interest II takeu
here in the San Francisco dispatch which apprared
in The Tribune Of this morning concerning the
renewed raids OF British sealcrs on the American
seal fisheries OF Bhrng Sea. and the refusal of
the revenue cutter Rush 10 seize the poacherss
In view OF recent dem onstratons by the Presidents
on paper it WAS thought that the Administrations
was dispOsed 10 protect these fisheries from ths
British intrudcrs. but this seems TO have been
mistake The apparent acquiescencc OF the Cow
crnment in these fresh deprcdations Of tho British
vessels Is particularly significant, coming 80 soon
after the recent message which 50 solictous
Of protecting American rights
Secretary Fairchih was somewhat guarded IN
discussing the subject tonight. lie had not read
the article but had heard Of the appearance Of tho
British schooner Vauder on the sealing grounds
and OF the action of the cutter Rush. The in
,tructions Of the Department were substantially
the same, he said. they had been last year. Still
there was disposition Ia relax rigorous mea>-
urcs and not to interfere unless the circumstances
were extreme. This because the British Govs
crnmcnt l. now proposing legislation which would
entirely stop these deprcdatons and pending thcse
steps there was desire not To adopt "a severe
policy. The Secretary mentioned. TOO, that there
had been comparatively few British scalcrs in the
Suppose the schooner Saudcr was actually
within the american seal limits as char ged, are
the instructions of the revenue cutter Rush such
that the B,tl>h scalcr might remain unm0lested p
10 TINS the Secretary responded that ~ would
be n matter largely within the discretion Of tho
officers Of the Rush. There was "a disposition AS
he had sDid, not to adopt harsh measures in view
OF the legislation Great Britain proposed. and
the decrease III the raids this year. compared with
those of last year II seemed apparent. although
the Instructions according TO what Mr.. Fair
child said, substantially the this
year. that the rigorous policy had been maieri-
ally RELAXED in view of the proposed legislation
by Great Britain
Secretary k,yard said tonight that the State
Dcmrtm, had no agents In Alaska. and hal
no powers To instruct the revenue cutters or tine
Government officials in the ltrhrng Sea matter.
men, not the State Department., to handle. As
to the suggestion that hc had any private arrange
mcns with Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN rcga riding the Iehring
Sea seal fisheries, Mr. Bayard characterized IL as
utterly stupid
II has been we'll understood in of0cial circles
OF late that the relations between the State and
the Treasury Departments have been considerably
strained "a result OF differences the BehrinS
Sea question. The tension began time ago
when Mr. liayard desirous ~ quict!ng any
discussion or friction over BehrEg >ea seizures
in order to give the British Fish rc, Commiss oncrs
a cordial introduction. II not thought en-
tirely courteous to offend Joseph Chamberlain Wv
seizing British schooncrs invading the American
seal limits. Yet the necessity of keeping up this
style Of diplomatic etiquette had the incidental
effect of letting the poachers enjoy much AZ
they liked of the American seal fisheries