The National tribune., 1890-07-31
THE BERIxC SEA q

THE BERISG SEA CORRESPONDENCE.
Not in recent years at least has there been
published any diplomatic correspondence in
which one OF the parties has been so thor
oughly worsted as Lord Salisbury by secre-
tary Blaine
Mr.. Blaine started with the great advan-
tage of being in the right, and Lord Salisbury
labored under the corresponding disadvan-
tage Of bolstering up bad cause, but this is
not all Of the story. Mr.. Blaine presented
our side OF the controversy with inexorable
logic and took merciless advantage of the
tricks and subterfuges OF his opponent.
Conspicuous among the latter was a trick
which, in this country, would be thought
discreditable in partisan sheet in the midst
of a campaign. He bolstered up his side of
the case with a quotation from letter writ
ten in 1923 by John Quincy Adams, then
Secretary Of State under Monroe, relative
to Russian control of the sea- Lord Sails
bury wrote:
After Russia, at the instance Of the Russian
Amerieaa Fur Company, claimed la 1921 the pur-
suits Of commerce. whaling aud hsliinz from Bcriug
Straits to ihe 5Ist degree Of north latitude aud not
only prohibited all foreign vessels from landing
the coasts and islands OF tlae above waters bat
also prevented them from approaching within 100
miles thereof Mr.. Quincy Adams wrote as follows
10 tlsc United States Minister Ia Russia:
The United States can admit no part Of theae
claims; their right Of navigation and fishing il
perfect and has been la constant exercise from, the
earliest times throughout the whole extent Of the
Southern Ocean, subject only TO the ordinary ex-
ccplions and exclusions Of the territorial iurizdc-
tons"
Mr. Blaine Immediately responded, Civ
ing the full text Of Mr.. Adamss letter, MS
| follows:
The United States can admit no part of these
claims; their right Of navigation and Of fishing s
perfect aud has been In constant exercise from the
earliest time, after The peaee Of 1883 throughout
! the whole extent Of the Southern Ocean, subject
only 10 the ordinary exceptions aud exclusions of
the territorial jurisdictions which 80 far as Russfan
Tghis concerned, cogdned 10 certain islanda
north Of he tdyifu degree n latitude aud haze 40
existence ot de ooptinento u Ame,iea.
The words in italics, which Salisbury cum
ninRly suppressed, are necessary to under
standing the letter, and they make it clear
at once. Dir. Adams was not writing about
4 Boring Sea at all, but about a new Russian
claim for jurisdiction on the continent
of America south Of the present northern
line Of the British Possessions. He ex-
! pressly admitted the entirety Of the Russian
control OF all north Of 54' 40, which in
cludes The Aleutian Islands, Behring'S Sea,
Alaska, etc Ii is amazing that the Prime
Minister of great nation should resort TO
a Wilful misquotatiOn of document in
order 10 make an argument
The grounds upon which rest our right
TO exercise complete police control over
Bering Sea are clearly set forth by Mr..
Blaine. His predecessor, Mr.. Bayard, made
substantially the same claim. Mr.. Blaine
has made the assertion more clear and ex-
plicit, and fortified il with unanswerable
reasoning, as doubtless Mr.. Bayard would
have done, had the discussion progressed 10
the same point. These grounds are:
!. That Russia exercised such control
without question, from the time of the dis
cOyery Of the country, in 1741, down to its
cession to the United States, in 1867, and by
the United States until five years ago, when
4
the seal fisheries excited the cupidity of the
Canadian pOachers. Stringent prohibition
as TO entering thes sea, or approaching within
100 miles Of the coast, were established by