Omaha daily bee., 1890-05-26
THE BEHRING SEA CONTROVERSY.

Last week the secretary of the treasury
signed the sailing orders of the revenue
cutter Bear then at Seattle, Wash,
directing that she sail Immediately
to Ownalaska and cruise diligently in
Behring sea for the purpose of warning
all persons against entering such waters
in violation of the statute of the United
States and arresting all persons and
seiZing all vessels found to be or to have
been engaged in any violation of our
laws. The statute under the authority
of which the secretary of the treasury
issues his instructions to the commander
of the revenue cutter provides that no
person shall kill any otter, mink, mar
tin, sable or fur seal, or other fur bear
ing animal within the limits of Alaska
or in the waters thereof The instruc-
tions of the present year are said to be
more specific in character than those of
last year, among other things requiring
that all vessels found violating the law
shall be dismantled and deprived of all
means of further violations.
A dispatch from Ottawa, Canada, states
on the authority of Senator Macdonald
that the Canadian sealing fleet which
started on it's hunt last January will
enter Behring sea, and the senator eX
pressed the opinion that the whole con-
troversy will be brought to sudden ma
turity by some act of bloodshed on one
side or the other. There is reason to be-
lieve that most of the Canadian sealers
went out with the determination to re-
sist any effort on the part of the United
States cruisers to enforce the rights
claimed by this country in Behring sea,
and if such is the case it is extremely
probable that the view taken of the sit
uation by Senator Macdonald will be ver-
flied before the close of the present sea-
son. The government of the United
States cannot rs the matter now stands,
recede from the position it has steadily
maintained, and which was emphasized
in the act of congress of March,
1889, and in the proclamation
of the president based thereon. Nor
does it appear, from the understood nat
ure of the instructions issued by the
secretary of the treasury, that it has the
slightest intention of doing So Some
more or less interesting and exciting
news from Behring sea may therefore be
expected before the sealing season
closes, unless there shall speedily be a
favorable termination of the negotia-
tions now in progress for a settlement of
this long-pending controversy
The latest information regarding the
negotiations, which came from Canadian
sources, did not give favorable promise
of an early understanding being reached.
1t was stated that the principles of the
settlement of the controversy had been
adopted, which was of course the least
difficult thing to be done, but the de-
tails had not proved and were not likely
to prove easy of settlement. According
to this information Secretary Blaine did
not urge the view that the
United States exercised sovereignty
over half of Behring sea, but
simply insisted that unless some
authority was exercised over those
waters the seal fishing would soon be a
thing of the past, and this the British
minister and his Canadian adviser is
said to have readily admitted. There
was no difficulty in both parties agreeing
to the proposition that whatever az
engagements should be arrived at be-
tween the two nations should have ref
erence to the preservation of the seals.
But the settlement of this point, GER
tainly an important one, appears to have
been as far as the parties were
able to agree, and there at last accounts
the controversy rested. Thus the indi-
cations are favorable to prolonged ne
gotiations, with the chance of their ulti-
mate failure if certain of the demands of
the United States now objected to, and
of vital Importance, are not conceded,
and meantime Behring sea is very
likely to become the scene of stirring
and sanguinary conflicts.