Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-16
FUR SEALS.
RuSSia's Claims to Admins
ter Bering Sea.
THE UNITED STATES RIGHTS.
The Sea in Question Is Not a High
way of the Nations, nor
Necessary to Commerce.

In discussing the rights of the United
States to maintain police surveillance
over Bering sea, as shown in the report
made to Congress by Colonel Poindexter
Dunn, then of Arkansas, but now of Los
Angeles, the real pith of the question is
reached today-that is what rights did
Russia claim in the premises and what
did that empire pretend to transfer to
this Government? All the other phases
of the matter are side-issues as compared
10 this.
As stated in former paper, the Pri-
bylov islands, where the seals breed, in
Bering sea, we're discovered by the Cap
tain of Russian ship in 1885. In 1899
the Czar granted to the Russian-Ameri-
can Company the right to take fur seals
in these waters. 1t was an absolutely
exclusive right so far as subjects of the
Emperor of Russia were concerned. 1t
was meant to be an exclusive right
30 far as the people not Russian were
concerned, and the Emperor undertook
to protect his patentee in the privileges
conferred. To quote the words OF this
report, made after most thorough and
careful study Of the matter: "From the
date of discovery down to the date of the
transfer Of Alaska to the United States,
Russia claimed and exercised exclusive
jurisdiction over these islands, and as
serted her ownership of those fur.bear-
ing animals and disposed OF them ac-
cordingly. No foreign vessel was per-
ck IL - tclo nd
during the entire period of Russian oc-
navy, both on the islands and in Bering
SEQ.
"By the treaty of cession this
right was transferred to the
United States. 1t includes the right
to protect seal life on the islands and in
that part of Bering sea included within
the boundary of the territory conveyed.
ssThe right of Russia to patrol the
waters of Bering sea and protect seal
life was asserted and exercised for nearly
. century, unquestioned and undisputed,
and the United States having acquired
that right by purchase from Russia. has
maintained it from the beginning"
1t was in accordance with this right
that Congress passed the laws now in
of seal life in Alaskan waters. It was
because the United States claimed the
rights now in dispute that company
was granted peculiar privileges in this
matter of taking fur seals in said
waters. If the Canadian poachers are
right in their claims then our Congress
was all wrong. To quote from the report
again: "The killing of fur seals by un-
act of Congress the right to take a
specified number of fur seals each year
for period of twenty years at fixed
rate of tax aud rental was authorized,
with direction TO the Secretary of the
Treasury for the time being, to renew
the privilege to proper and responsible
parties at the expiration of each period
Of twenty years.
cit is clear to your committee from
the proof submitted, that to prohibit
seal killing on the islands and permit
the killing in Bering sea would be no
protection for it is not on the islands
where the destruction of seal life is
threatened or seals or unlawfully
killed, but it is in that part Of
Bering sea lying between the
eastern and western limits of Alaeka as
described in the treaty of concession,
through which the seals pass and repass
in going to and from their feeding
grounds, some fifty miles southeast OF
the rookeries, and in their annual mi
grations to and from the islands,"
THESE CLAIMS REST ON REASON.
Russia then laid claim to the right to
control the waters of Alaska and pre-
tended to transfer this right with the
title to the territory when she ceded
Alaska to the United States. Russia
maintained these rights at all times, and
when the United States came into poses
sion she undertook to assert and defend
the same rights. Our Government has
at all times since the acquisition of
Alaska asserted and defended her rights.
Russia based her claims on discovery,
on first occupation and on peaceable pos.
session for a period Of half century.
All the rights that empire had are ours
as the assign and successor of Russia.
And there is no valid reason on which
to base any adverse claim. Russia g
rights were not called in question for the
reason that there were no adverse rights,
or even interests, out of which dispute
might grow. The claims of the EN-
perors were founded on justice and
Gutus Oubll tu0 Ohlo OI CQ0 C6BBlOn OF
the territory in question to the United
States, Russian territory enclosed as per-
fectly as ours does the shores
of Lake Michigan those of the
Alaskan waters. Bering straits lead into
the frozen ocean, which on one side is
bounded by Russian territory for its
entire distance, and is go bounded on
the other side for thousands of miles.
There are only two things to induce the
most daring navigators of any nation to
visit these inhospitable and. dangerous
waters or their barren and almost unip-
habited shores. Scientific investigation
and whale fishing are the two induce
ments here referred to. Russia did not
debar any ship at any time from passing
through Bering sea on their way north.
ward on these venturesome expeditions.
ALI along the eastern and northern coasts
of Boring sea lay Russian territory,
and none other. To the south
the Aleutian islands hem in almost
rs perfectly as the mainland, the waters
of this inclosed sea. Here is no highway
Of the nations. Here is no tenant ship
in common. These shores, these islands,
and these waters, were Russian, all Rus.
sian, completely Russian. 1t is closed
SEQ, as much as is lake Michigan, aa
much as is the Black sea, the sea of
Azov, or the Caspian. Nor is there the
In - e.. u - 4