New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-06

marnitudc could have been omitted from the
instructions written by Mr.. Adams and w. q.
Canning as Secretaries for Foreign Affairs in their
respective countries-impossible that such fact
could have escaped the notice of Mr.. Middleton
and Count Nesselrode of Mr.. Stratford Canning
and Mr. Poletica who were the negotiators OF
the two treaties II is impossible that in the
Anglo Russian treaty Count Nesselrode Mr.. STRAIT
ford Canning and Mr.. Poetica could have taken
sixteen lines to recite the titles and honors they
had received from their respective sovereigns, ana
not even suggest the insertion of one line, or even
word. TO secure so valuable grant to England
as the full freedom OF the Behring Sea.
There is another argument o; great weight
against the assumption Of Lord Salisbury that the
phrase Pacific Ocean, used in The first article
of both the American and British treaties, was in
tended to include the waters of the Behring Sea
IL is true that by :ne treaties with the United
States and Great Britain Russia practically With
drew the operation # the ClIasc of 1s2l from the
waters Of the northwest coast OF TIE Pacic Oceai'
hut the proof is conclusive tiat il was left IN 1u
force over the waters OF the Behring Sea Loru
Salisbury can not have asCertained the Valnc OF
the Bchring Sea to Russia when he assun cd that
in the treaties of 1924 and 1929 the lmperlpl
Government had. by mere inclusion in an
thrown open all Il resources and all the wealth
of those waters to the citizens OF the Inled states
and to the subjects Of Great Britain
Lord Salisbury has perhaps not thought it worth
while 10 make any examination 81 the money Value
OF Alaska and the waters OF the Pehrng Sea at the
time the treaties were negotiated ana IN Tie S"c-
cceding years. TIE first period of The kussai-
American Companys operations had closed oelorc
the Ukase of 1921 was issued Its affairs were
kept secret for long time but are now accuraleN
known The money advanced for tic capl'ai
stock Of the company at It's openirg III I'''
amounted to 1.2Js74G rubles. The gross safes oi
furs and skins by the company at KODAK ana CanF
ION from that date up to 1920 amounted to 90
Oo46 sos rubes. The net profit WAS ''co''ooo
rubles for the twenty-one ycars-over $40 per cent
for the whole period, or neatly 80 per cent pei
annum. am
Reviewing these facts, Bancroft in his HIS
tory of Alaska a standard work of exhaustive
research, says ,,, l.,
We find this powerful monopoly firmly estaohsiieo II,
the favor of the Imperial Government many hooes VI
high rank and several members Of the Royai is"'n
being among the shareholders
And yet Lord Salisbury evidently suPposcs '''"'
LARGE amount of wealth was careessly thrown
away by the Royal family, the nooles' tne cour-
tiers. the capitalists and the spectators OF 81
Sea in the Pacific Ocean. That it was not thrown
AWAY is shown Ly the transactions of the company
for the next twenty years.
The second period of the Russian American Com
pany began in 1921 and ended In 1871 Nlu'h
that time the gross revenues of the company en-
ceetled 81 ,OOO,OO rubes. Besides paying all
expenses and all taxes, the company largely M
creased the original capital and divided o,ooo,ooo
rubles among the shareholders These dividends ana
the increase of the stock showed prollt on the
original capital of So per cent per annum for the
whole twenty yearS-a great increase over uhc
first period. 1t must not be forgotten that dur
ing sixteen of these twenty years of constantly
increasing profits, the treaties which, according
TO Lord Salisbury gave to Great Britain and the
United States equal rights with Russia IN the
Behring Sea, were in full force.
The proceedings which took place when the
second period OF the Russian-American Company
was at an end are thus described in Bancroft's
History OF Alaska:
ain the variety and extent of Its opera
tions" declare the members of The Imperial Council,
"no other company compare with 1t. In addition
10 a commercial and industrial monopoly, the Govern
men has invested it with portion OF Its own powers
in governing the vast and distant territory over which
il now holds control. change in this system would
now he Of doubtful benefit To open our ports 10 all
hunters promscuOusly would be blow Ia tic
fur trade while the Government having transferred
10 the company the control Of the colonies could not
now resume 1t without great expense and trouble. and
would have TO create new financial resources for such
purpose
The Imperial Council, it will be seen, did not
hesitate TO call the Russian American Company
a monopoly, which it could not have been II Lord
Sasbury's construction of the treaty was cor
rect Nor did the Council feel any doubt that
to open the ports of the Behring Sea TO all
hunters promiscuously would be deatl-blow to
the fur trade.
Bancroft says further
This opinion Of the Imperial Council,
together with charter defining the privileges ana
duties Of the company, was delivered to the Car
and received his signature October IL, 1874 The
new charter did not differ in its main features from
that Of 1921, though the boundary was, Of course,
changed in accordance with the English and American
treaties None of the companys rights were cur
tailed and the additional privileges were granted Of
trading with certain ports in China and OF shipping tea
direct from China to ST. Petersburg
The Russian american Company was thus char
tered for a third period Of twenty years and AT
the end bf the time il found that the gross
receipts amounted to 7j,770,000 rubes, minor
part of it from the tea trade. The expenses OF
administration were very large The shareholders
received dividends to the amount of lO?l0,0OO
rubes-about 900 per cent for the whole period
or a. per cent per annum on the original capital
At the time the third period closed in 1862, the
Russian Government saw an opportunity TO sell
Alaska, and refused to continue the charter OF the
company. Agents of the United States had
initiated negotiations for the transfer OF Alaska
as early as 1889. The company continued pre-
tically, however, to exercise its monopoly uhtll
1867. when Alaska sold by Russia 10 the
United States. The enormous profits OF the
Russian American Company in the fur trade oil
the Bchring Sea continued under the Russian nag
for more than forty years after the treaties OF
1924 and 1925 had been concluded. Ana yet
Lord Salisbury contends that during this long
pcriod Of exceptional profits from the fur trade
Great Britain and tine United States had DIS good
riobt as Russia to take part in these highly
lucrative ventures.
,...ion., md EnnliSh shins In onOdlN numbers