The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-08-15

From Destruction.
WASHINGTON Aug 9-Whatever may be
thought Of the negligence Of the United
States and the indifference of Great britain
in failing to settle the Echrtng sea dispute
before it reached au irritating stag, the at
tItuIe OF Canada IL indefcnSlb.e. The 90
mluIOn press and the dominion gOVcrI.-~:'
have figured from the beginning as the aPOI-
Ogi-ts and defenders Of crew Of pOaChors
and pirates whose ravages threaten the
obstruction Of an industry the Whole
commercial world is interested in main
tanning. The seal fisheries OF Behrlng sea
are said to repIesenG Il capitalized value OF
SO, 600, 900 Such estimates are neccs-
Rarly vague buC that The va!ue of the fish
cries is enormous goes without Saying.
Their preservation depends upon their pro
lection from unlicensed taking Of seal ut i'm
proper seasons and in excessive quantities.
Two or three years raYaging OF the Alaska
fisheries by reckless and greedy Fealcra
would destroy them as completely as hln1l ar
fisheries, once equally productive, in other
parts OF the world have been destroyed
The United States would not be the only
nor even the chief sufferer ny such u catas-
trophe The BeaIskIns which are taken in
Alaska are marketed in London, where tGc
costly processes Of dressing and dycing
which Give them their value are gone
through. There is probably more capital
invested in these than in the hsheSles. En-
gIIsh industry would suffer more than Amer
lean by the determination Of the Alaska
seal The British imperial government Is
/
saving the fisheries from 0eEtrucciDN.
The dominion government aasai.s thc
national industries and vested Interests ct
both when 1t defends and excuses the depIe-
cations OF the poachers and pirates Of $
maritime provinces. True The British
Columbian sea!ers are not the only nor even
the chief offenders. Behring sea sw4rms
with American poaching seaIers But our
revenue marine can take care OF them with
out embarrassing the state department or
creating International complications. Ii is
in the performance of the Imperative duty
OF protecting the interests of the whole com
merctul world from depredators Of all ma
lions that the United States has been obliged,
in the absence OF aninterDationaI agreement,
to transcend somewhat strict diplomatic
limits and place Itself in what may appear TO
the unlnstructed q false position
This duty has fallen to the United States
because there was no one else to perform j..
The United States has dealt with the seal
pOachers because it was the neares. nation
among all those interested. II has done on
its own responsibility what it should have
done by international warrant, in cJuiunc-
ton, perhaps, with other MARITIME NATIONS
rojiceG Behring sea. 1t has played tie part,
nf no 10 tod
citizen who takes the law into his own
hands and sejzcs a midnight burglar in the
absence of policeman with a warrant. This
is we'll understood in London, and is ample
guaranty that no serious complication with
Great Britain Will grow out Oi the seizure Of
Canadian sealers. II will be noticed that the
beIligerent outcry OF the Canadian officials
and newspapers has not evoked the smallest
echo from the English press. 1t is a case
where the sympathies as well as the interests
of the English are with the United States
rather tnan with their own CoiOniSts, though
national obligation prevents frank avOwal
of tHeir feeling.
The natural Discrimination to offend Canada
has held the British government back from
a rational settlement OF the Bchrng sea dis
pute by international agreement The
United States in Mr. Bayard's time, was
tnid and sluggish enough in urging negotIa-
ton TO this end; but this country is not
more than half responsible tor leaving a
vcxed question open SO long. Great Britain
was ready at one time to go into a con
ference tor an agreement, but de
hberuteIy drew back, at the instance
of the dominion government, N ORDER to
keep open a controversy Il was 20 the inter
est Of both nations to close to use l. as 4
makeweight in the entirely irrelevant and
unrelated Atlantic fisheries dispute The
best possible way to starte the British gov
erument out of this deliberate policy of mac
tiOn against its own larger interests was riG-
idly to enforce the American law for the pro.
lection Of the seal fisheries. The discussion
OF the claim for damages which will uudoubt
edIv he made for the seizure of British seal
pr8 Will certainly lead to a consideration OF
the merits of the main question. The
soIicltude of Great Britain for the materia
welfare Of her own people will certainly force
her in the end to deal with that question
from the point of view of imperial rather
than Canadian interests If the Behring sea
md Atlantic fisheries disputes can be settled
Mt the same time, SO much the better; but
the former will have to be settled after the
vigorous policy pursued this summer. 1t car
only be settled by an international agree
ment in the interest OF the whole CONNER
clal world, regardless OF those Of 4 few Can.
adam poachers backed by the noisy clamoI
OF petty group of colonies F. A CARL E