Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-05-15
sula bordering on the Pacific and geo.
graphically shut out from the Behring

sula bordering on the Pacific and geo.
graphically shut out from the Behring
sea.
Iregret that my arguments on q
point which Lord Salisbury considers
OF great Importance should have
ESCAPED HIS LoRDsHIP's NOTICE.
In Lord Sallsbury's Judgment the
contention OF the United States now
rests wholly upon the ukase OF 1921
by the Emperor Alexander I, OF Rus
sia. The United States has at no
time rested it's argument solely on the
ground mentioned, and this govern
ment regrets that Lord Salisbury
should SO misapprehend the Ameri-
can position as to limit it's basis of
right in Behrlng sea to the ukase OF
1921. The United States has, among
other grounds, insisted, without re.
curing to any OF Its inherited ana
superior rights in Alaska, tnat this
government has full authority tor 60
ing beyond the three.mile line in case
it proved necessity as Great Britain
possesses.
Two or three instances of the power
which Great Britain exercises beyond
the three mile line have already been
quoted, but have failed thus far to
secure comment or explanation from
Lord Salisbury. Another case can be
added, which, prehaps, is still more
to the point. In 1886-only two
years ago-the British parliament en-
acted law, the effect OF which is fully
shown by a man inclosed herewith.
(Note-The map referred to presents
g. triangular sheet OF water, with the
apex formed by three small frths or
bays. The great body of water is
nameless on the map. Across tie
base OF the triangle is the line otexclu-
sions, measuring So miles, and the
two sides are Sc miles and SO miles
long, making the total inclosed area
twenty-seven hundred square miles.
| Far outside the three mile limit the
parliament OF Great Britain has at
tempted to control a body of water
situated beyond thenorthwestern Sec
tion of Scotland, 2,7OO square miles
extent, and to direct that certain
methods OF fishing shall not be used
within that great body OF water under
a prescribed penalty. 1t will be OBJ
served that the inhibition is not alone
against British subjects
BUT AGAINST "ANY PERSON."
There quote to the pertinent section
of the parliamentary act in question:
First-The fishing board may, by
bylaw or bylaws, direct that the
methods OF fishing known as beam
trawling and otter trawling shall not
be used within q line drawn from Dun
cansby Head, in Caithness, to Rattray
Point, in Aberdeenshire, in any area
or ares to be defined in such bylaw,
and may from time to time make, al
ter, and revoke by laws for the pur-
poses of this section, but no such by
law shall be OF any validity until it
has been confirmed by the secretary
for Scotland.
Secondary person who uses any
such method Of fishing in contraven-
tion or any such bylaw shall be lia-
BILE on conviction under the summary
jurisdiction (Scotland) acts, to a fine
not exceeding f5 for the first offense,
and not exceeding ego for the second
or any subsequent offense, and any
net set or attempted to be set in con-
travention of any such bylaw may be
seized and destroyed or otherwise dis
posed OF as in the sixth section OF this
act mentioned.
II Great Britain may thus control
an area of two thousand and seven
hundred square miles of ocean on the
coast OF Scotland, why not the Unit.
ed States prescribe space around
the: :Pribylotf islands in which similar
prohibitions may be enforced? The
following would be the needed legisla-
ton for such a purpose by congr ess,
and it is but a paraphrase of the act
of parliament:
The tur seal board may, by bylaw
or bylaws, direct that the methods of
sealing known as spearlng, or har-
pooning, or with fire. arms, shall not
be used within line drawn from the
shores OF the Prlbyloff islands, so
miles in the Behring sea, and said
board may, from time to time, make,
alter and revoke bylaws for the pur.
pose OF this section; but no such by,
law shall be OF any validity until it
has been confirmed by the secretary
| of the treasury.
Secondary person who uses any
method OF sealing in contravention OF
such bylaws shall be liable on convic.
tion to a fine not exceeding $1OO for
the first ofense and not exceeding
$500 far the second or any subse-
quent offense, and every spear, har-
poon or fire-arm attempted to be used
in contravention of any such bylaw
may be seized and destroyed or 9TH
erwise disposed OF as said fur seal
board may direct.
1t must not escape observation that
the area of water
OUTSIDE THE THREE.MILE LINE
on the coast Of Scotland, whose con-
troll is assumed by Great Britain, is
large as would be found inside line
drawn from Cape Cod to Portland
harbor on the New England coast.
Lord Salisbury reasserts his conten-
tion that the words "Pacifc ocean"
at the time of the treaty between Rus.
sia and Great Britain did include
Behring sea. Undoubtedly the Pacific
ocean includes Behring sea in the same
sence that the Atlantic ocean includes
Gulf OF Mexico, and yet it would be re.
garded as very inaccurate state
ment, to say that the Mississippi river
fows}into the Atlantic ocean. Itnink
Lord Salisbury fails to recognize the
distinction between the "Atlantic
ocean, and "the waters of the Allan.