The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-23
HOW NEAR 1T WAS TO A ROW.
Why British War-Ship Was Or
dered to Cauise Near Alaska


From the NetO York World.
OTTAWA, July 19.-No one knows how
near coming into collision the British and
American navies were up to a month ago.
Then the danger ended, and the Canadian
cabinet, now in possession of all the facts,
breathes freely. Official intimations givea
out here make it probable that the United
States has intlmated willingness TO agree
to England's proposition, made nearly a
year ago, for the appointment of a mixed
commission to ad Just the claims for damages
made by the owners Of the seized Canadian
sealers In Behring's sea- Along with the
iutimatlOn given above are the facts that
Indicate that at times there was serious dam
ger of a collision between the war-ships.
They are as follows:
Her British majesty's war-ship Caroline,
the same that has just gone north to shell
the Indian settlements IN the Skeena river
country, arrived at Victoria, b. c., under
instructions to repair, coal and provision.
What her service was 20 be no one knew.
She had just been seiEtog and raising the
British flag upon some Islands in the Pacific
ocean, and it was surmised that she was
going back to see that the Germans didn't
do anything wrong with them. Here in
Ottawa the Dominion cabinet was all in
fiutter. So nething was in the wind aud
that something was nothing less than that
the Caroline had been ordered to get ready
secretly to proceed to Behring's sea.
Every attempted exercise of jurisdiction
by the United States beyond the three-mile
limit was to be met 10y actual resistance,
and every British vessel captured by Amer
lean cutters or seized by American author
ity In Alaska ports was to be recaptured by
the Caroline at the muZZle of her guns, if
necessary. There was, 1t is alleged, consid-
erabe dOuble-faced dealing on the part of
the English in this matter. For instance,
early in April, when one of the captured
Canadian sealers complained to the Domiu-
ion governme that he hadsno protection,
the deputy minister of fisheries and marine
said that the matter had been submitted to
negotiations then going on, and that the
Dominion government had earnestly and
repeatedly represented TO the British gov,
ernment tho gravity of the wrong to which
Canadian citizens had Deen subjected in
Behring's sea, and had urgently pressed for
reparation OF such wrong. The officials
added that the authority OF the government
of Canada was limited to the protection of
its territorial waters, and that it had no
power TO send armed vessels on the high seas
to defend subjects or their property.
Immediately following this disavowal Of
any intention on the part of Canada of
adopting resistance as n mode of settling
bne behTlnBs sea bedlaIlsnery sJrOuDleS, Jno
home government ordered the Caroline to
procee to Victoria, and not as told above.
Early in May the Dolphin, the new United
States dispatch boat left San Francisco for
Alaska. 1t was given out at the time that
she was carrying Instructions TO the Alas
kan authorities from Washington, but later
on 1t became known that she had gone
thither TO see that the claims Of the United
States 10 jurisdiction over the waters were
not disregarded. Messages flashed over the
Canadian Pacific wires 10 Ottawa from Vi9-
toria. The cables TO England were kept
busy nearly week. A member of parlia-
ment asked in the house Of commons
whether the secretary Of the colonies had
any information TO the effect that the
United States had sent a man-of-war to
Alaska to enforce its claims 10 the jurisdic-
tion over Behring's sea, and was answered
ambiguously that the British government
had not yet received any official notifica-
tion from Washington OF sucha move And
theu, as n result OF all this hustle and ex-
element, the Caroline was ordered to dis
charge her provisions and await orders.
The ojected trip TO Alaska and Behring's
sea was given up The times were not
propitious for collision with the United
States on either land or sea, and the British
government dropped their foolish idea as il
II had been piece Of red-hot iron.