Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-16
The Closed Season Agreement
Duly Signed.
A Presidential Proclamation
Announcing the Fact.
The Arrangement Completed With
Unprecedented Speed.
Final Correspondence Between the Tw
Governments Resulting in the
Modus Vivendf.
Associated Press Dispatches.


today issued proclamation stating that
an agreement for a modus vivendi be-
tween the government OF the United
States and the government of her .Bri-
tannic majesty in relation to the fur
seal fisheries in Bering sea, has been
concluded. 1t reads as follows:
For the purpose of avoiding an irrita-
tion of the differences, and with view
to promote friendly settlement of the
questions pending between the two
governments as to their respective
rights in Bering sea, and for the preser-
walton of the seal species, the following
agreement is made, without prejudice to
the rights or claims of either party:
l. Her maiesty's government will
prohibit, until May next, seal killing in
that part of Bering sea lying westward
of the line of demarcation described in
article No. of the treaty of 1867, be-
tween the United States and Russia.
and will promptly use its best efforts to
insure the observance of this prohibit
tion by British subjects and vessels.
2. The United States government will
prohibit seal killing for the same period,
in the same part of Bering sea, and on
the shores and islands thereof, the
property of the United States, in excess
of 1900 to be taken on the islands, for
the subsistence and care of the natives,
and will promptly use its best efforts to
ensure the observance of this prohibi-
tion by United States customs officers
and vessels.
3. Every vessel or person offending
against this prohibition in said waters
of Bering sea, outside of the ordinary
territorial limits of the United States,
may be seized and detained by naval or
other duly commissioned officers of
either of the high contracting parties ;
but they shall be handed over as soon
as practicable to the authorities of the
nation to which they respectively be-
long, who shall at once have jurisdiction
to try the offense and impose penalties
for the same. Witnesses and proofs
necessary to establish the offense shall
also be sent with them.
In order to facilitate such proper in
qqiries as her majesty's government
may desire to make, with view to the
presentation OF the case than an agree
ment for arhitra4.s5 may be arrived at,
IL >. - agreed that suitable persons desig-
mated by Great Britain will be permitted
at any time, upon application, to visit
or to remain upon the seal islands dur
ing the present sealing season for that
purpose.
Signed and sealed in duplicate at
Washington, this 18th day of June,
1891, on behalf of their respective gov
ernments, by William L. Wharton, act
ing secretary of state, for the United
States, and Sir Julian Pauncefote, envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipoten-
tiary.
Now, therefore, be it known that l.,
Benjamin Harrison, president of the
United States of America, have caused
said agreement to be made public to the
end that the same and every part there
of may be observed and fulfilled with
good faith by the United States of Amer
lea, and the citizens thereof.
In witness whereof, l have hereunto
set nv hand and caused the seal OF the
United States to be affixed.
[Signed1 BENJAMIN HARRISON.
The arrangement Indicated in the
above proclamation was carried to COM
pletion with degree of speed without
precedent in the history of the state
department, and the cable has been re-
llCu upOu W dn CAIChu. hC
agreement was signed this morning by
Sir Julian Pauncefote and Wharton,
and the presidential proclamation fol-
lowed as quickly as it could be prepared.
The navy department has been ad-
yised of the progress and necessities OF
the case, and orders are now in prepara-
ton for the immediate dispatch of prob
ably two naval vessels from San Fran
cisco to Alaska, where they will assist
the three revenue cutters in the task oil
driving off poaching sealing vessels.
1t will be noticed that the agreement
authorizes United States vessels to seize
offending British vessels, which, how
ever, are to be turned over to the Brit
ish authorities for trial, and this feature
of the agreement is expected to prove oi
great value in the pressing emergency
that is held to exist of clearing out law
breaking vessels before irreparable dam
age can be done to seal fisheries.
The department of state this after
noon made public the latest correspond
ence on the subject. 1t began with a
note June Sd, from Sir Julian Paunce-
fote in reply to Secretary Blaine's letter
of May 4th. Replying to those PROPOSE
tions, Sir Julian replied with an amend
ed draft of the agreement, which differs
from the one signed today, in covering,
by the interdict against killing, the
whole of Bering sea and its islands; also
providing for British consuls to the
islands this summer, and that the con-
Vention should not come into operation
unless Russia's consent was obtained.
In reply, the president offered proposl-
ton, suggesting such changes as would
give to the modus vivendi the same ter
ritorial extent with the pending pro-
posals for arbitration, and see that the
stipulation for the prohibition of killing
seals upon islands of the United States
would rest upon its own order. And
that the obligations of the respective
governments to give prompt and vigor-
GUS effect to the agreement might be
more clearly apparent, the president
stated that no British consular junction
could be exercised on Bering sea islands,
but reasonable facilities might be ex-
tended to Great Britain for investigating
at the islands any facts involved in the
controversy to be arbitrated. The bring
ing of Russia into the affair at this time
would prove simply prohibitive of agree
ment upon the modus vivendi, and
could not be granted by the United
States.
The suggestion that either power
might arrest violators of the agreement,
be they British or American, is then
made by the president.
lima 6th lord Salish,lrv'a ranlv was