The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-05


the Tenor Of the Orders Issued by the
Admiralty to the Commanding Officer Of
the Fleet Which Has Been Ordered to
Behring Sea.
CHICAGO, May 3O.-A special dispatch
from Victoria. 3. c., says:
Startling revelations concerning the
tenor and extent of the orders issued by
the British Admiralty authorities to
Admiral Heneage, commanding the
Pacific squadron, and under which the
British men-of-war STiftsure, Icarais
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 a luncheon given by local
club men, and before the affair
came to a close, all were very much un-
der 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 authorities attempted IS pre-
vent Canadian sealers from hunting
there. No-actention would be paid to
the Presidents proclamation, he said,
a The Admiral would not only dispute
the claim of the americans to exclusive
sovereignty in the disputed waters, but
if American ships should take into Gus
tody Canadian sealers, caught
fishing therein, the British
men-of-war would take steps to
recapture them. He said, further,
that the Admira commanding the North
American squadron had sent the British
cruiser Buzzard from Bermuda to New
York, and while there orders were re-
ceived from the Admiralty to act as
once and send two war ships from the
North American Station to reinforce
those now under orders to proceed to
BehriLg Sea.
If tha statement made by this officer
are true. it would 81 N that Great Bri-
tain meSSs to resort tssorce rather than
wait 1Fss olatjsSsAbe
eaS1shing difiodiIJ: G -
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.
He has communicated to the British Ad
miralty authorities by cable.
NO NEWS AT OTTAWA.
>TTAWA, May 30.-The Department
of Marine and Fisheries is yet without
any official information as to the
despatch of warships to Behring Sea
By either England or the United States.
No significance is attached BY head
officials to the despatch of these steam
ers. At any rate that is how they
express themselves.
THE REPORT DENIED IN PARLIAMENT. -
LONDON, Max lin the: Housad
Commons tSzsS (
Ssa>s-H arliameA ~
Foreign Office, denreo 1cne
Victoria, B. c., that three men
| in the Pacific had been ordered to pro-
ceed to Behring Sea in June to protect
British sealing vessels from interference
by American men-of-mar.
WHAT IS SAID AT WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, May 30.-The Wash
ington dispatches from British Colum-
bia with regard to expected trouble
between the United States and Great
Britain over the Behring Sea seal fish
cries are generally discredited by officers
of the Navy Department. 1t is pointed
out that no officer of rank sufficiently
high to make him acquainted with the
English governments purpose would
under any circumstances be so foolish
as to talk in the manner stated IN the
dispatch from Victoria. a prominent
naval official, speaking on the subject,
said that if such talk did occur, the
| speaker was some subaltern who had
drank too much and lost his head, and
had by high talk given his auditors to
LSeIeve that something startling was
going ee- take al;e-aa!aeS -a!!sas and that he l2see~ lse
all about it. The United States
had no reason to apprehend any
difficulty. Great Britain assur-
edly would not commit any
oye:t act of violence in case her sealers
were molested, without warning this
government of its intentions. The
warning that Great Britain would by
force dispute the soyereigntyof Behring
Sea had never been communicated to
the United States, and this alone showed :
the improbability Of the story. 4
might be that the three vessels named
were going to Behring Sea, though that
was by no means certain. Their duties
there, however, would probably consist
in nothing more than keeping watch
on the situation to prevent their citizens
from being wantonly ill-used and giving
the sealors good advice. If our vessels
attempted anything that was unwar-
rauted, it might be that the British Of
fcers would feel called upon to inter
fere. The United States send vessels to
| the Newfoundland fisheries each year TO
look after American interests, and
British vessels probably had similar
mission in Alaskan@waters, presumlng
| that they would 60 there. -,
The United States naval force at
present available in RehrinS Sea con-
sists of the Bear, the Thetis aid reve-
nue. 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 Francisco,
but it will be some time before she will
be ready to 60 into commission. She
has demon Stratad If Is said that She is
an excellent boat, but has not yet full
! filled the contract requirements, and
some changes are necessary to be made
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,
oa, Io t1,i,l- 70 cit