Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-11
In the Negotiations Between England
aud the United States Concern
Ing the Iiehrlng Sea.
A BASIS vPon WHICH TO SETTLE
rHE DIFFICULTIES.
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
Vhe BchrsnE s.s Negotiations reach
" solid ussi-.


ring Sea negotiations have taken = iav-
prahls turn aud the governments OF the
United states and Great Britain appear
10 have nj last reached a basis upon
which 20 settle their difficulties. n
communication from Lord Salisbury 10
Sir Julian Panncciote, British minister
here. was made public by Secretary
Blaine tonight. In u Lord Salisbury
says the dispatch Of Mr.. Blaine, under
date Of December 18th last, has been
carefully considered.
at N now clear" he adds, "that
the advisers OF the President do not
claim BehrIng Sea m marc cidusun
aud. indeed, that they rcpudiate thai
contention IN express terms. nor 10
they roly NJ q Justification Tor tue
rviIlrc@ Of British ships IN Tue open
Pea upOn the contention that the inter
ests OF the seal fisheries give TO tue unit.
ed States government any righ, for tha'
purpose, which, according % inter.
national law, Il would not Otherwise
possess. Whatever Importance they
attach TO the preservation OF the fur
seal species. aud they justly look on u
~ an object deserving the most serious
sollctudc, they do not conceive tiiat II
confers upon any maritime powers
right over tho open ocean, when thal
power could not assert ON other
grounds.
'rhc claim OF the United States To
prevent tho exercise Of seal fishing by
other nations In the Behring Sea rests
now cXcluSively upon the interest
which 10y purchase they possess III thr
uknae Issued By Emperor Alexander l,
Ia tho year 1871, which prohibited Tor
eign vessels from approaching wllhin
100 Italian miles OF the coast aud Ia
lands, then belonging 10 Russia, Ia
the Bchring 5ca. IL V not, NJ under
stand, oontcnded that the Russian gov.
ernmcnt at the timc Of tho issue OF
this ukase porses@ed any Inherent right
u enforce such prohibition, or acquired
by the act OF issuing II, any claims
over the open SEA, beyond tho territofi-
al limit Of three miles, which tney
would not otherwise have possessed.
'Bnt, II IA said, this proposition,
WORTHLESS In Itself, acquires validity
and force against the British govern
n,ent, because that government eau Dc
shown 10 have ace rptcd ia provisions.
Our contention II that not only can u
not be shown that the government OF
Great Britain, at amy time rince 1871,
has admitted the s9undncss Of the pre-
tensions nut forward by that ukase, but
II eau be- shown that II has cate
gorically denied II on more than one
occaslon.'S
10 sustain this contention Lord Salis-
bury quotes from letter OF January,
1872, from Lord Londonderry 10 Count
I.iey-n, Russian ambassador To Lon
don, aud also from note, by tho Duke
Of Wellington 10 Count Ncs-ebrode In
October, 1892, refusing 20 admit ltls'
sia's claim. Continuing, Lord sails
bury says:
"Mr. Blaine does not deal with these
protests, hut confines himself mainly
10 the consideration OF treaties subsc-
ausntly made between Great Britain
mud Russia, and America aud
R.i.sla, In lsg5, and especially
tin, between Russi aand Great Brtsin.
Tns treaty dous not contain word
20 signify tho Aopuiescence OF Great
Britain In tho claim recently put for
ward by Russia to control the watona
of the sea for 100 miles from her coast.
l understand Mr.. Blnine'r argument
10 be that " Great Britain Int ndcd TO
protest against tho claim Of Russia 10
exclude ships for 100 miles from her
coast In Beiiring Sea she would take
this opportunity Of doing 10; but that
IN conilning herself 10 stipulatl0ns in.
favor of full liberty ~ navigation and
fishing Ia any part OF the ocean,
commonly called the Pacific
Ocean, she, by implication, re-
nounced any claim that could
arise out Of the same set Of clrcum.
stances In regard 10 any sea that was
not part Of the Pacific ocean. ANA
then Mr.. Blaine goes on 20 contend
that the phrase Pacific ocean did not,
and does not include Behring sea
Even IL this latter contention were
correct. | should earnestly demur to
the conclusion Ihat our Inherent right
10 free massage and free fishing over
Tho vast extent Of ocean could he efs
fectlvely runounced by mere retlcenee
or omission.
UBut | am not prepared TO admit
the Justice of MIR. Blainp's contention,
that the words Pacific ocean did not
Include Behring .ea. Mr.. Blainr al.
duroa a long llst Of maps Ia which a
desiQnatlon distinct from that OF Spa.
cliIc ocean IL glvon TO Behrlng sea,
either M sBehring sea- or Sea ~
Ksnschatl,n,' or Sea OF Anadir.' The
argument viii hardly have any force
Jules II IA applicable with equal truth
10 all the other oceans ofthe world"
Lord Salisbury snya the determine.
ton Of this point will los most salts
faetorlly nscertRined by consulting
hooks Of reference, Of which he ap-
pends list Of some thirty Of various
dates, from 1905 downwards, and
printed In various countries, which
combine 10 show that IN common par
lance the words "Pacifc Ocean" do
include Behring sea.
az, then, In ordinary language, the
Pacific ocean IA used ns a phrase m
Guiding the whole sea nom Behrlng'a
Straits 10 the A niartic Circle, Il follows
that the ilnt article u the treaty Of
1928 did secure 10 Great Britain, In the
fullest possible manner, freedom OF
navigation aud fishing la Bahring Sea.
In that case. no inference, however
Indirect or clrculious, can be dmwn
from any commission In tho Language
Of that INSTRUMENT % show that Great
Britain acpuiesced In the usurration
which the ukase OF 1891 attempted.
"rhe documents have quoted sui
0aIautly s.tnhliah that flo not only