Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-17
BEHRING SEA.
Salisbury Willing to Refer the Matter to
Arbitration.

LONDON, August 16;h-Salisbury' last
dispatch to Blaine relative to the Behring
Sea dispute bears date of August I'd. After
quoting from historical documents the dis
patch concludes: These show that Eng
land has refused to admit any part of the
Russian claim, asserted in the ukase of the
21st to the marine jurisdiction and exclu-
sive right of fishing throughout the whole
extent of that claim, from Behring straits
to the fifty-frst parallel also, that the con-
vention of the 25th was regarded by both
sides as a Remuneration on the part of Rus
STA of the claim in its entirety, and that
though the Behring straits is known and
specifically provided for, Behring Sea is
not known by that name. Her Msjesty's
Government always claimed the freedom
of navigation and the fishing in Behripg
Sea outside the limit of the marine league
from the coast.
at Is impossible to admit that the right
to fish and catch seals in the high seas can
be held to be abandoned by the nation
from the mere fact that for certain num-
Der of years it has not suited the subjects
of that nation to exercise such right. 1t
must be remembered that the existence of
British Columbia as colony and the de-
velopment of the colony's shipping inter-
ests is comparatively recent
"If the United States Government con-
tinues to differ with Great Britain as to the
legality of her recent captures, her Males.
tvs Government is ready to refer the ques-
ton, with the issues dependent thereon, to
an impartial arbitration"
ENGLISH COMMENTS.
LONDON, August 16ih.-The Pail lfall
Gazette, discussing the Behring Sea ques-
ton, says 1.-THE full text of Secretary
Adams dispatch to the British Govern
ment does not invalidate Salisbury's argu-
ment, which was founded on extracts from
the dispatch. We are unable to conceive a
clearer case for arbitration or to believe
that the Americans do not approve of arbi-
ration"
The st. James Gazette attributes Blaine's
note to desire to influence the Irish vote.
PRESS OPINIONS.
NEW York, August 16th-A Tribune
London special says: The publication Of
the Behring Sea correspondence is followed
by two sonorous blasts of the two British
trumpets, the Times and Standard They
both proclaim that Great Britain is entirely
right and the United States entirely wrong
in this difficult controversy. Both pour
out scorn on Blaine. The Standard at
tributes to the American Government .po-
litical motives in dealing with the diplo-
matte question, and declares the Irish in
America to be at the bottom of the whole
trouble But for the Irish in America the
United States would abandon the preten-
sions without word of plauslbility. If
that be not sufficient explanation of
Blaine's conduct, his extraordinary devo-
ton to the interests of the Alaska Com
mercial Company supplies what is want
ing" Blaine's dispatch is loftily described
as ill-tempered. The thunders in which
Mr.. Blaine has been dealing are of the
most transparent artificial kind.
The Times is rather more temperate in
tone, with the exceptions as to when it de.
clares that the conduct of the United States
Government in rejecting Sir Julian Paunc-
totes modus vivendi in instructing
United States cruiser to dismantle vessels
found in the Behring Sea, and in breaking
off the negotiations as an evidence of ar
htrariness and contempt for reason happily
rare in the European relations of the pres
ent day.
The coming into force of the Silver Act
was saluted by an article in Wednesdays
Times. Like nearly every financial au-
thority in the country, that journal thinks
the present silver policy of America mis-
take. and describes the Act as one which
"compeis the United States Government to
buy certain commodity, aud to hold it, !
issuing meantime TO the sellers warrant (
which The public are compelled to receive |
as money" The motive FOR passing it is |
believed not wholly financial, but |
political scheme.