St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-31
SAYS THEY'LL SCRAP.
Startling Statement Of q
British Naval Offlcer
at Victoria
That Great Britain Will Do
as She Pleases in Beh-
ring Sea.
Naval Officials at Washington
Calmly Smile at the
Idea,
Saying That Arbitration Will
Be Tried Before There's
War.


revelations concerning the tenor and ex-
tent of the orders issued by the admiralty
authorities to Admiral Heneage, COM
handing the Pacific squadron. and
under which the British men-of-war
Swiftsure, Icarus and AmphiOn, now at
Esquimalt, will proceed to Behring sea
early in June. were made yesterday by
an officer in high rank attached to the
flagship. He and a number OF other
naval officers attended luncheon given
by local clubmen and before the affair
came to close all were very much
under the influence of champagne. At
the height of the festivities the officer
in responding to the toast Of the
navy. said In substance that
there would be some fighting soon in
Behring sea if the American authori-
ties attempted to prevent Canadian
sealers from hunting there. No atten-
ton would be paid to the presidents
proclamation, he said, and the admiral
would not only dispute the claim OF the
Americans to exclusive sovereignty in
the disputed waters, but II American
cruisers should take into custody Ca
madam sealers caught fishing there. the
British men-of-War would take steps
TO RECAPTURE THEM.
He said, further. that the admiral
commanding the North American sta
ton had sent the British cruiser BuZ-
zard from Bermuda to New York, and
while there orders were received from
the admiralty to act at once and send
two war ships from the North American
station to reinforce those now under or
ders to proceed to Behring sea. If the
statements made by the officer are true,
it would seem that Great Britain means
to resort to force rather than wait for a
diplomatic solution of the seal fishing
difficulty. Late yesterday afternoon
the admiral heard of the statements
made By the officer and at once ordered
him under arrest. Strong efforts were
made to keep the matter secret, but it
leaked out and caused great excitement
last night. The admiral will not discuss
the matter. He has communicated to
the admiralty authorities by cable.
LAUGHED AT IN WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. May 30.-The warlike
dispatches from British Columbia with
regard to expected trouble between the
United States and Great Britain over
the Behring sea seal fisheries, are gen
orally discredited by officers OF the navy
department. It is pointed out that no
officer of rank sufficiently high to make
him acquainted with the English gov
eminent purposes would under any cir
cumstances be so foolish as to talk in
the manner stated in the dispatch from
Victoria, B. G. A prominent naval
officer in speaking OH the subject said
that if such a talk did occur the speaker
was some suDaltern who had drank
too much beer and lost his head,
and had by high talk given his hearers
to believe something startling was going
to take place, and that he knew all
about it. The United States had no
reason to apprehend any difficulty.
Great Britain assuredly would not COM
nit any overt violence in case her seal
ers were arrested, without warning this
government of its intentions. A warm
ing that Great Britain would by force
dispute the sovereignty OF Behrlng. sea
had never been communicated te the
United States, and this alone showed
the
IMPROBABILITY
of the story. 1t might be that the three
vessels named were going to Behring
sea, though that was by no means GER
tam. Their duties there, however,
would PROBABLY consist Of nothing more
than keeping a watch on the situation
to prevent their citizens from being
wantonly ill-used and giving the seaiers
good advice. If our vessels attempted
anything that was unWarranted 1t might
be that the British officers would feel
called upon to interfere. The United
States sent vessels to the NeWfound-
land fisheries each year to look after
American interests, and the British YES
sells probably had similar mission in
Alaskan waters. presuming that they
would go there. The United States
naval force at present available i'll Beh-
ring sea consists of the Bear, the The
tbs and a revenue cutter. These vessels
are of no use
FOR ACTUAL WARFARE
and are simply policemen of the sea.
The Adams and the Iroquois are at
Mare island, and could be sent to sea at
short notice if circumstances demanded
it. The Charleston is also at San Fran
cisco, but it will he some time before
she will be ready to go into commission.
She has demonstrated. it is said, that
she is an excellent boat. but has not yet
fulfilled the contract requirements. as
some changes are necessary in her
machinery before she can come up to
the conditions of the contract. Even if
these requirements. were waived under
stress of an emergency it would take
some time to fit the Charleston out for
service. AS has been already stated,
however, naval officers do not think the
situation at all alarming, or even threat
ening. The Behring sea fisheries, they
are confident, will not precipitate con-
flict between the United States and
(Iroat Rrifoiu