Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-06
The eeR,Nc SEA CONTROVERSY.
Correspondence to Date Touching the
Far-sest Question.
lBy telegraph to the Disps,ch.J

tby stttkt.Rh w tA1 DtepntCusl
wAsHrsoroN. u. O.. January 5.--The
President to-day transmitted 10 the House
of Representatives further correspondence
on the subject Of the Boring Sea contro.
versy between the United States and Great
Britain. The Presidents message Is alto
gcther formal and merely states that in re-
spouse TO q resolution of the House OF
Representatives he transmits the CORE
spondence called for. A letter from Sec
rotary Blaine also accompanies the CORE
spondence. but 1t IL purely one of trans
INITIAL.
The correspondence transmitted by the
President Is made up of two very long let
ters and number OF enclosures. compri-
sing treaties. notes. and extracts from
previous correspondence, which, Mr..
Blaine says, concludes the correspondence
touching the fur-seal question up to date.
One Of these letters is from Lord Sails.
bury TO Sir Julian Pauncefcte, the British
Minister, dated August 2. 1890, and the
other was addressed by Mr.. Blaine TO the
British Minister December 18th last.
Lord Salisbury's letter is confined to a
discussion of the Russian ukase and the
treaty of 1925. He argues that Blaine has
msinterpreted Mr.. Adams's position, and
declares that the history OF the case shows
that England always denied Russia's claim
OF maritime jurisdiction in Bering Sea;
that the convention Of 1925 was renunci-
alton Of that claim. and that Bering Sea
was not then known by that name, but
AS part of the Paeihc Ocean. He closes
with the statement that if differences still
exist his Government is ready for impartial
arbitration of those differences by me-
thods 10 be agreed upon in concord with
Mr.. Blaine.
POSITION OF THIS COUNTRY.
Secretary Blaines letter begins with an
insistance upon the correctness of the
position assumed by the United States.
He believes that the controversy turns
upon one point--viz., whether the phrase
Pacific Ocean" used in the treaties o.
1924 and 1925 include Boring Sea, as con.
tended by Great Britain. IL the United
States can prove the contrary her case IS
complete and undeniable. Therefore,
Blaine enters into an exhaustive argument
based on Bancroft's history and maps to
show that Adams and his contemporaries
had distinct understanding that the
phrase Pacific Ocean" excluded the
waters of Boring Sea. then known to all
the world as the Sea of Kamschatka.
The Secretary points to the large wealth
of the Russian American Company, which,
he SAYS, would have been carelessly thrown
away by the Russian nobility in phrase
which merged Bering Sea in the Pacific
Ocean. He cites the long years of abstl-
nence from the seal waters by the adj
venturous people of the United States and
Great Britain as o presumption OF their
lack of right to enter.
As stronger evidence of his correctness,
Mr.. Blaine cites protocols OF the treaty of
1924 TO show that Russia's REIMBURSEMENT
of jurisdiction applied only TO the terri
tory between the fiftieth and sixtieth de-
grees also an explanatory note from Rus
STA to Mr.. Adams III 1924, positively ex-
ceptinp the Alentian Islands and the coun-
try of ffty-nine degrees three minutes
from the concession to the United States
Of the right TO fish and trade.
He also cites the action of Great Britain
excluding vessels from the waters within
eight leagues of st. Helena when Napoleon
was confined there, and again refers to the
protection exercised over the Ceylon pearl
fisheries by Great Britain saying that he
is willing TO accept those PROVISIONS tor
the protection of the seal-ffsheries
He speaks of the enormous injury infiict-
cd by vessels under the British flag upon
United States fisheries, and suggests that
she send an intelligent commissioner TO
the seal islands.
THE PROPOSED ARBITRATION OBJECTED TO.
Again, he objects 10 the form OF the pro-
posed arbitration. and says il will amount
TO something tangible If Great Britain VIII
consent 10 arbitrate the real questions dis
cussed for the last four years-to wit:
What were the rights exercised by Russia
in Boring Sea? How far were they con-
coded by Great Britain Was Boring Sea
included in the Pacific ocean, Did not
the United States acquire all of Russia's
rights? What are the present rights of the
United States? And il the concurrence of
Great Britain is found necessary, then
what shall be the protected limits and the
close season.
Secretary Blaine, in conclusion, denies
that the United States ever claimed
Bering Sea to be closed sea, and quotes
Minister Phelps, IN 1888, where he says that
the question is not applicable to the
present case.