New-York tribune., 1890-08-06
RBITTSH COHMENTS on THE BEHRiNG
SEl DISPUTE


We nrint this morning copiOuS extracts from
tho comments of leading English newspapers
mon the Bchring Sea correspondence They
are remarkable chiefly for the dense lgnoraHoe
they dispav as well of tho subject under n'go-
tia,ion as Of the arguments and Propositions
that ale advanced On either side. This Is IN
fortunate. because the British Prime Minister
has tascn position-most rashly, III our opln-
ion-which rcndcrS it particularly desirable
flat the British public should understand the
merits Of the controversy and the direction III
which tley are beng drawn. Lord salisbury
has said that he viii d. something dl,agrecabc
if we continue to seize British vessels ia Behr-
ing sea The probability is that we shall con
tinue 10 seize them ard il he undertakes to
carry out his threat be is likely t. involve the
British nation in consequences Of very seri-
Gus character II i, important, therefore, that
those whose duty it is to keep the people in
formed as to their affairs should examine this
controversy thoroughly and should comment
not upon assumptions. but upon facts. VI I'm
scarcely an exception, the English papers III
dorse and approve the action OF their Premier
without any clear idea of what his action ha'
bcen-often imagining, indeed, that be has
done inst the opposite OF what he has really
done.
As if this were not sufficiently annoying
there is an insoen, intmation in almost every
one Of them that our Government J. not sin-
cere in is position but i acting under t"c
pressure Of partisan and other selfish forces.
This is comment upon American methods
which our British contemporaries seem to take
a peculiar pleasure IN presenting. No sublec'
can arise involving cOnroveIsy between inc
United states and Great Britain OF which the!
do not compiaccHtly claim that they are OBJ
yiously in the right, and plainly anxious to
settle the matter upon the basis Of that OBJ
yious right that all we have to do Is to aKrec
with them and admit their demands, and tha'
if we hesitate To pursue this clearly righteous
and necessary course We must be moved by
some unworthy purpose. q" The London lines
had been through SOM suCn mental process a
this when IL was constrained 10 say that no
tvo INTELLIGENT citizens of either country, who
were without party or lobbying interests 10
serve, could 10y any possibility doubt that tine
chief merits OF the controversy were with tAe
,eal-eXtcrmnatoIs, OT that they were moss
,olicitous 10 bring the issue 10 a close
These point, should lc bornc ia mind By the
British press: America ha, no desire to OBJ
struct navigation or commerce in The waters OF
Echrine Scl II desires merely t. protect II,
own property, the PriJ.loi >cll, from cruel ami
wa,tcful ,laughtcr-lrom what Lord salisbury
DESCRIBED as the "warton destruction ol a
valuable industry" In order to accomplish
that. we have argued, and certainly We well
may argue, that Great Britain has 10 right T.
deny t. Ms in Behring Sea any authority which
She conceded to Russia or allowed Russia with
out protest - assert. ... we are now pre-
pared as we always have been since Minister
| phelv, first suggested 1t, to waive that point
and to come to a treaty with England, by which
the seal shall be protected by International
agreement Our position on that subject ha,
not changed ono iota We are ready to close
with Lold Salisbury tomorrow upon the terms
which he approved in April 1855. The pres
! eat difficulty comes about through no fault ol
ours We have spoken candldly, and have
acted fairly from the beginning. Lord Sails
bury alone i, responsible for the prolongatlon
of the dispute. He withdrew from the offer
he had distinctly made and made after five
months of consideration, and he is now en-
doavoring 10 induce Us 10 agree 10 an arrange
ment which will not protect the seal az all, but
will leave them at the mercy of the Victorian
| hunters This, he may be assured, President
Harrison will never consent to do. Nor will
he. or Secretary Blaine, or the Republican
party, or the American Nation, be moved from
their purpose by any threats or any proceed
ings which the British Premier betrays himself
into making or taking.