Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-02
MORE DIPLOMACY.
Latest Communications in the
Seal Imbroglio.
SALISBURY TOO SLOW FOR BLAINE.

The American Statesman Impelled to
Spur Up the Deliberate Britisher-The
Correspondence That Finally Led to
the Action in the British Parliament
The Plan Proposed by Blaine for
Modus Nivendi Pending Arbitration,
and Which the British Premier Has
Accepted.
WASHINGTON CITY, June 1.-The state
department has made public the recent
correspondence on the Behring sea fishery
question. The first communication is
from Secretary Blaine TO Sir Julian
Pauncefote 1t is dated May I, 1891, and
says: During the month of March last,
a few days after the adjournment of con-
gress, acting under the instructions of the
president, proposed to you that a modus
vivendi be agreed upon touching the seal
fisheries, pending the result of arbitration
of the question at issue between the two
governments. The presidents first Pro-
posal, which submitted to you, was Sat
no Canadian sealer should be- allowed to
some within a certain number of miles of
Pie Pribylof islands II was, however,
the conclusion of the president after read
ing Lord Saisbury's dispatch of Feb. 81
that this modus vivendi might possibly
provoke conflict in the Behring sea. and
10 avoid that result he instructed me TO
propose that sealing, both on land. and
sea, should be suspended during the pro
gress of arbitration, or during the season
of 1891. On both occasions it was CON
versational exchange of views, the first
in my office at the state department, the
second at my residence
\ Complaint of Delay.
Mr.. Blaine then says that it was the
president desire 70 receive a reply. that
he hoped would be favorable, before he
left this city on his western trip, but he
was disappointed, although month had
passed since the proposal was made. I'm
der these circumstances Lord Salisburys
silence was construed to mean that the
proposal was not satisfactory, and as the
season was advancing, and Canadian seal
ers were preparing in large numbers TO
enter Behring sea, the president gave or
ders that the lessees of the seal fisheries be
permitted to take the maximum number
of seals this season-600, 0OO-subiect to the
discretion of the government agent al the
islands to limit the number as he saw fit.
Another Complication Arises.
April % Pauncefote notified Blaine that
Salisbury was ready TO agree that sealing
should be suspended This was tele-
Craphed to the president then in the west,
and he replied expressing his satisfaction,
but instructing Blaine to inform Paunce-
fote that some seals would have to be
killed under the United States contract
with the lessees, who otherwise would be
put under great hardships in consequence
of the terms of that contract, which i'm
posed certain conditions on said lessees
which were both costly and difficult TO
peEIsrm.
Pauncefote Is Somewhat Doubtful.
The secretary tells Pauncefote that you
will rememb Der that when | communicated
this proposition from the president toyou,
on the evening of Monday, April y. you
did not agree with the presidents suc
GestiOn. On the contrary, you expressed
yourself a confident that Salisbury would
not accept it; that in your Judgment the
killing of seals must be cut of absolutely
on the land and in the water and that it
could not be stopped on either unless
stopped on both The president
refuses to believe that Lord Salisbury can
possibly maintain the position you have
taken when his lordship is placed in full
possession of the facts
The Lessees' Obligations.
Mr.. Blaine then recites the obligations
imposed by.contract npOn the seal fisheries
lessees, giving the number OF skins said
lessees were permitted to take and the
conditions under which they were permit-
ted 10 take them. These conditions are in
brief that "the means of living. the facili-
ties for education, the care of health, the
religious teaching the training of the
young and old in a community of over 800
persons, are all imposed upon the COM
pany, a. its solemn duty, by specific arti-
Giles of the lease. | enclose you a copy of
the census of $50, giving every name of
the BOB persons, old and young, male and
female who constitute the whole COM
munity of the Pribyloff islands"
Costly Business for the Lessees.
II is further urged by MI Blaine that:
"The duties thus imposed upon the com
pany must be discharged annually with
punctuality and eXactnesS The comfort
possibly the safety, of all these human be
ings, peculiarly helpless when left to them
selves is dependent upon the company I'M
der the lease, and the lessces are paid there
for by the government in the seal skins
which the company receives for the ser
vice. If the company shall, as you say
Lord Salisbury requests, be deprived of all
privilege of taking setls, they certainly
could not be compelled to minister to the
wants of these 800 inhabitants for an en-
tire year
Uncle SANS First Duty.
IF the lessees are not to be allowed pay
ment ia any form for the amount neces-
sary to support these 800 people on the isl
ands. they will naturally decline to ex-
pend IT, No appropriation Of money has
been made by congress for the purpose,
and the president cannot leave these wor-
thy and innocent people to the hazard of
starvation, even to secure any form OF
agreement with Lord Salisbury touching
seal life. Seal life may be valuable, but
the first duty of the government of the
United States in this matter is to protect
human life.
NEW PROPOSALS SUBMITTED.
The Modus Vivendi Suggested Pending