Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-02
BERING SEA MATTER
The Latest Installment Of
Correspondence.
Each Side Blames the Other for
Unneeded Delay.
President Harris0n's Impatience
With the Britishers.
Important Interviews Between
Blaine and Pauncefote.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches.
WASHINGTON, Jnne 1.-The state de
partment today made public the latest
installment of correspondence on the
Bering sea matter. 1t begins with 6
letter from Secretary Blaine to Sil
Julian Paunceforte, dated May 4th. In
it he refers to his proposition after the
adjournment OF congress for modus
'yivendi under which no Canadian sealel
should be allowed to come within Ger
tain number of miles of the Pribylof
islands, Lord Salisbury fearing this
might provoke conflict, the president
concluded to propose suspension o
the sealing by both nations during arbi
tration or during the season of 1891.
Mr.. Blaine refers to the PRESIDENT
anxiety to receive an answerbefore leav'
ing for his western tour, which answer
he did not get. The silence of Lord Sal
isbufy seemed to imply that he would
not restrain Canadian sealers from en-
tering Bering sea, and all intelligence
from British Colu mbia showed that seal
ers were getting ready to sail in large
numbers. The president found that he
could not, with justice, prevent the les
sees from taking seals on the Pribyloff
islands. The president therefore in
structed the secretary of the treasury
to issue to the lessees the privilege OF
taking the maximum number of $4,000
seals the coming season, subject to the
discretion of tie special agent to limit the
killing to as small number as the con-
dition of the herd might demand.
On the 22d of April Blaine received
notice from Pauncefote that Lord Sails
bury was ready to agree to the PROPOSE
tions and Mr.. Blaine telegraphed it the
president. The latter replied April 25th,
expressing his satisfaction, but instruct
ing Blaine to inform Pauncefote that
some seals must be killed by the natives
for food; that the lessees are bound un-
der their lease fromthe government to
feed and care for the natives, etc.
Pauncefote replied, April 9th, that
he did not agree with the presidents
suggestions, and expressed the belief
that Salisbury would not accept It; that
the killing of seals must be cutoff abso-
lutely.
Mr.. Blaine thereupon submitted to
Pauncefote a-statement of exactly what
terms in regard to caring for the natives
OF Alaska were imposed upon the North
American company by the lease--in
short, the means Of living, facilities for
education, care of health, religious
teaching, the training of old and young
in community of over 800 persons, are
imposed upon the company by specific
article OF the lease.
f'If the company SHOULD" says Mr..
Blaine. las PauncefotA says Sails
bury requests, be Vdeprived OF
all privilege of taking seals. they
certainly could not be compelled to.
minister to the wants of these people
for an entire year. 1t evidently requires
a considerable sum Of money to furnish
all the requisite supplies which must be
carried four thousand miles on specially
chartered steamers. If the lessees are
not to be allowed payment in any form,
they will naturally decline the expense.
"Noyappropriation has been made by
congress for the purpose, and the presi-
dent cannot leave these worthy and
innocent people to the hazard of
starvation, even to secure any
form of agreement with Lord Sal
isbury touching seal life. Seal
life may be valuable, but the first duty
OF the government OF the United States
is to protect human life. In this ext
gency the president asks that Lord Sal
isbury concede to the North American
company the right to take sufficient
number OF seals to recompense them for
their outlay; and after full considera-
tion, the secretary of the treasury has
fixed the maximum at 1900 to be killed,
and that no females be killed, so that
the productive capacity of the herd be
not diminished"
Secretary Blaine then renews his
proposition that the governments agree
to a suspension of sealing, subject to the
above proviso, saying the president be-
lieves the propositions are calculated to
produce result at once fair and honor
able to both governments, and thus lead
troversy which has already been too
long left at issue.
On May 9Th, Sir Julian Pauncefote
had forwarded Lord Salisbury copy of
the secretary's note, and had cabled his
lordship the precise terms of the pro-
posal. The British minister regrets to
find some misconception as regards the
complaint VI u6ity III dC4udiHtIliB 1IuIu
Salisbury with Mr.. Blaine's second
alternative proposal. This proposal
(for the cessation for killing, he says,
was originally made to him verbally by
Mr.. Blaine, and he expressed reluctance
at sending any more proposals to Lord
Salisbury, while the latter's dispatch of
February 21st last, submitting arbitra-
tion proposals, remained unanswered,
and suggested that it would be more
satisfactory if this new proposal
(for the cessation of kill
ing) were made concurrently with
Mr.. Blaine's reply, and he understood
Mr.. Blaine to assent to that suggestion.
If Mr.. Blaine had informed him that
the president, for any reason, desired
that this alternative proposal should be
telegraphed to Lord Salisbury, he need
hardly say he should have at once COM
piled with his wishes. But he cannot
call to mind that the presidents name
was ever mentioned at that talk, which
was merely conversational exchange
of views. No appreciable loss Of time
occurred, however, as he acquainted
Lord Salisbury with the proposal by
mail, and received prompt answer by
telegraph, which enabled him TO inform
Secretary Blaine April Goth that his