The Portland daily press., 1891-01-28


upon the high seas within 100 Italian
miles Of the shores to which that clalm Is maae
his imperial Il msjessy have e. always ways been Of the
sure Of this government % preserve them IN the
should shout dssne the Boundaries between he terri.
tories and Russia on this continen, ,shat the same
sacuds Vessels I q
from the shore, beyond the ordinary distance
which the territorial Jurisdiction extends has ex-
cited still greater surprise.
The English also protested. and from the 4
foreign office Lord Londonderry sent TO /
the Russian Government 10 communication
In which he declared,
Upon the subject OF this ukase generally, and
oM 5ae two s 81
legged TO belong 70 Russia over the territories
ns ss also the ,s sseSsys sa
therein SET forh HIS Britsnnic nSlssty must a ns
being prepared to admit that the Intercourse
which IS allowed on the face Of this instrument
TO have hitherto subsistea on those coass and In
those seas bo deemed TO be illicit or that the
ships OF friendly powers. even supposlng an un-
qualified sovereignty was proved 70 appertaln 70
see n eouS by tSs
knowledged law OF nations, be excluded from
navigating within the distance Of 100 italian
miles. as therein laid down, from the coast. the
exclusive dominion OF which Is assumed (but as
His Majesty's Government conceive In error) |
to belong to His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor |
Akaootoos
Mr.. Blaine contends that Mr.. Adams and |
Lord Londonderry did not mean to include /
Behring Sea In these protests; Lord Sails
Jury contends that they had In mind the
whole region mentioned In the ukase and
not the strip Of coast lying from the Alaskan
peninsula southwark.
The result OF the ukase were treaties be-
tween Russia and the United States and
England, concluded In 1924 In the treaties
as In the protests no mention was made OF
the Behring Sea In connection with the 100
mile limit, or indeed In any other connec-
tion. Writing from the British foreign
Office In 1924 TO the British minister at ST. l
Petersburg. Mr.. G. Canning especially In
structed the latter.
The right of the subjects OF His Majesty TO nayl
gate reey In the Pacific can not be held as mat
been publicly questioned, it must be publicly ae- |
We DO not desire that any distinct reference
feel 1t necessary that the statement OF rights
should be clear aud positive.
yention concluded between Russia and the
United States of America; and we see no reason
wny, upon similar claims, we should not obtain
exactly the Ike satisfaction.
For reasons u the same nature we can not con
rinss Straits sSonIS n hs stslsa IN the rpesty
boon from Russia.
The tendency Of such a statement would be to
jurisdiction against which we. on our own behalf
that of the whole civilized woIld. protest.
yenfion with the United states Of Am, rlca; ano
yet it cannot be doubted thai the Americans con-
slider themselves as secured In the right of nayi
eating Behring's straits and the sea beyono
them.
IL cannot be expected that England should re-
ceve as q boon that which the United States hold
y, y right 50 unqa fashionable as not to be worth
recording.
This Is as near a reference as there Is to
Behring Sea. Neither the English nor the
Americans cared to go there for seals, but
both English and Americans wanted to 60
up through the Sea to the Straits and through
them. These Instructions were given just
previous to the conclusion OF the treaty be-
tween England and Russia, and just after
the making Of the treaty between the United
States and Russia. |@t
/ The reader will look In vain In the two
treaties for any reference to Behring Sea.
The first articles Of each are Identical In
stipulations and nearly Identical In language.
The American says:
1t Is agreed that In any part of the great ocean,
| commonly called the Pacific Ocean or South Sea,
contracting powers shall be neither DISTURBED
nor restrained. either In navigation or 10 fishing
or 10 the power OF resorting 70 the coasts, upon
points which may not already have been Occupied
Tor the purpose VI trading with the natives. saw
ing always the restrictions and conditions de-
termined BY the following articles.
Not word Is there in this or In any other
articles Of either treaty about Behring Sea
OF Behring straits. Lord Salisbury contends
that Behring Sea was understood to be In
cIuded In the term Pacific Ocean" Mr..
Lord Salisbury bases his claim upon the pro
tests OF Mr.. Adams and Of Lord London
derry. at the time OF the ukase, and upon
the Instructions given by Mr.. Canning to
fhe British Minister at st. Petersburg. Mr..
Blaine bases his claim upon the fact that for
many years Behring Sea had been designat-
| cd BY Its name or by the name of Sea OF
hamcnatka, upon many maps; that the
monopoly Of the Russian American Company
In the Alaska fur trade, which extended not
4 only on the shores Of Behring Sea, but also
southwark to the present site OF Sitka, where
| were the largest trading stations, was very
valuable, and therefore. the Russians would
not have let the sovereignty Of Behring Sea
slip so easily; upon other points In the treat
/ les which he conceiveS TO be c0nirmatOry;
| and finally upon certain note, filed with
Mr.. Adams by the Russian Minister, im
mediately after the making Of the treaty OF
l 1924. AS this explanatory note Is Mr..
Blsine's most impressive point, 1t should be
given In full
Explanatory note TO be presented to the Gov
eminent Of the United States at the time OF The
| ing with more certainty, all occasion Tor future
discussions; by means OF which note It VIII be
seen that the Ateuttdn Islands, the coasts Of ST
bertd, and the Russian Possessions In general on
the northeast coast of America to go 3V Of north
latitude are positively excepted from The liberty
| Of hunting. fishing, and commerce stipulated III
favor Of citizens Of the United States for ten
i Years.
| the stlpulations agreed upon, for the coasts Of
| Siberia are washed by the sea Of OkhoIsk, tho
tie South Sea mentioned in the ifst article o. the
/ convention OF April 6-l7 1924. The ALetttdn
Islands are also washed BY the Sea of Kan hatks,
H Is not the Intention of Russia to impede the
| free navigation Of the Pacific Ocean. she woull
understood AID placed beyond ali manner Of
| doubt, the principe thar beyond 6eo SO no
Ssn ance ne
| tico marine leagues. THIS will not prevent the
| reception Of foreign vessel which have been
damaged or beaten by storm.
This note was presented after our treaty
was made and just before the conclusion Of
| the treaty between Russia and England. Mr..
Blaine claims that this shows that Russia
had become alarmed, lest the LANGUAGE Of our
treaty was too vague and that England, by
claiming the same rights that had been
granted to US, might get access to Behring
| Sea. 1t certainly does not show that Russia
| probably did not wish Behring Sea to be In
cluded In the term Pacific Ocean. Unfoftu-
nately 1t shows also that Russia waived the
claim to exclude vessels from the seas with
| In 100 Italian miles from shore, for the note
says that Russia would be satisfied with
causing 70 be recognized, as we'll as under
stood and placed beyond all manner Of doubt,
the principle that beyond SO degrees, 80
minutes, no foreign vessel can approach her
coasts and her Islands, nor fish or hunt with
| IN the distance Of two marine leagues. mat
Is. while Russia Acknowledged that the Pa
| ciic Ocean should be free for navigation.
she should hold that the treaty meant, that
| north of that ocean, foreign vessels must, In
their fishing and hunting, keep two marine
leagues or six miles from the coast, not 100
Italian miles, as held In the ukase. The
Russian Minister had at first wished to have
the treaty modified, to make this Russian
understanding plan; but Mr.. Adams told
him, thatto try 1t might defeat the whole
treaty that our merchants would not go
north of the 57th degree of latitude, and that
II was not best to put such fancies into their
head. No one wanted to go into Behring
| Sra at that tune, and Mr.. Adams had no hest
tatiCn In assuring the Russian Minister, that
| the Russian establishments In that far region
| were not likely to be troubled. In fact.
| Behring Sea was not at that time by any
| means, the most valuable portion Of Alaska,
even to the Russians. The Russian Ameri-
can Fur Company. that profitable monopoly,
was making only small part Of It's revenue
| out OF the fur seals which were being taken
In comparatively few numbers on st. Paul
and st. George. The largest trading stations
of the company In North America. were not
| about Bebring Sea but further south, In the
neighboIhood Of Sitka.
Nv.
| Tha treatv of 1894 provided In Its six short