The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-06
mGLAYD AND THE SEALS.
CORRESPONDENCE IN THE
70 TILT MADE PUBLIC.

y
~ nd the Treaty Of 1925-The
IA-oversv Turns Upon the Point
r-.o+ber the Phrase Pacific Ocean
.,,des Behring Sea.
-,,,xeToS. Jan. 5.-The President
W. transmitted to the House OF Repre-
F'',. further correspondence on the
90. If the Bshring sea controversy
S0' the United States and Great
80 The Presidents message is alto
Hl'.. - formal and merely states that in
s'D" "a the resolution of the House of
f1'..ssntatives be transmitted the cor
SSsls ~5ence called for. A letter from
F1p1.a Blaine also accompanies the cor
'n5snce. but it is purely one of trans
ptsL 4u,;t.ad nv the
JIG - Is made I'D of two very long let
hsslIds numbsr of enclosures, comprising
psa notes and extracts from previous
Esa. .Hao,ndence. which, Secretary Blaine
Ieoaponcludes the correspondence touch
n!' tbs fur-seal question up to date.
DS THE LETTERS.
1T these letters is from Lord Salisbury
V s9s Irlian Pauncefote, the British min
% Oh 4s+ad Aug. 2, 1890, and the other was
r t.ssI. ue nv Secretary Blaine to the British
~l1l;stsr on Dec. II last. Lord Salisourys
niue i confined to a discussion OF the
s eve nkase aud the treaty of 1925.
h ss"-,,as that Secretary Blaine has mlsln-
he-assed President Adams position, and
.sal.y.rss that the history of the case shows
eso, England always denied Russia's. claim
' " ,-1sritime jurisdiction IN Behrlng sea;
a. The convention of 1873 was renuncla-
s .-s IT that claim, and that benrlng sea
Tss not then known by that name,
va va .s mart of the Pacific ocean. He closes
Wv the statement that if differences still
wiz. WIZ his government is ready for impartial
s AAtitration of the differences by methods to
SS.Da~raad upou In concord with Secretary
Blaine. rr,sr
Lard salisbury's letter to Sir Pauncefote,
.ttsr citing instructions given to the British
ooiisnipotentiary who negotiated the treaty
'; 1e55 saws: "These extracts show con-
TrsiysIy: l. That England refused to ad-
~, soy mart of the Russian cl i'm asserted
~ +bs nkase Of 1921 to maritime Jurtsdlc-
t0o and exclusive right of fishing through
on. the whole extent of that claim, from
R4bring straits to he 5lst parallel.
y That the convention of 1925 was re-
osrded on both sides as renunclaUlon on
ne mart of Russia of that claim in its en-
tirety; and
@S That though the Behring straits was
known and specifically provided for, Behr-
inp sea was not known by that name, but
was regarded as part of the Pacific ocean.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION CLAIMED.
"The answer, therefore, to the questions
with which Secretary Blaine concluded his
dispa ch is that her majesty's government
has always claimed freedom IT navigation
and fishing III the waters OF Behring sea,
outside the usual territorial limit of one
marine league from the coast. That it
IS impossible to admit that the public
right to fish, catch seal or pursue any
other lawful occupation on the high seas,
can be held to be abandoned by nation
from the mere fact that for a certain num-
Der of years it has not suited the subjects of
that nation to exercise it.
BRITISH CoLUMBIAs EXISTENCE.
"It must be remembered that British
Columbia has come into existence as a
colony at a comparatively recent date, and
that the first considerable influx of popula-
tion, some thirty years ago, was due to the
discovery OF gold and did not tend to an
immediate development of the shipping in
teresG.
81 have to request that you will commu-
nicate copy of this dlspat h and its in
closures to Secretary Blaine. You will
state that her majesty's government has no
desire whatever to refuse to the United
States any jurisdiction in Behring sea
which was conceded by Great Britain to
Russia, aud which properly accrues to the
present possessor of Alaska in virtue OF
treaties or the law Of nations; and that il
tha ITnitad StafaS Of or
examination of the evidence and
the argu nents which l have pro.
duced, still differ from them, as
to the legality Of recent captures IN that
sea, they are ready to agree that the ques-
ton, with the issues that depend upon it,
should be referred to impartial arbitra-
ton. You will, in that case, be authorized
10 consider, in concert with Secretary
Blaine, the method of procedure to bt
followed"
ALL HINGES ON ONE POINT.
Secretary Blaine's letter begins with an
INSTANCE upon the correctness of the posi-
ton assumed by the United States. He
believes that the controversy turns upon
one point-whether the phrase Pacific
ocean" used in the treaties Of 1924 and 1925
includes Behring sea, as conteuded by Great
Britain. If the United States can prove
tle contrary, her case is complete and uu
genlaole. Thereto 9. Secretary Blaine enter:
Il'o an exhaustive argument, based on
Bmcroft's history ID maps, to sshow that
resident Adams and his contemporaries.
mad distinct understanding that the
phrase Pacific ocean" excluded he waters
Of Behring sea, then known to all the world
the Sea of Kamchatka. The
secretary points 90 the large wealth
the Russian American Comp INV.
S,ulcn, he says, would have been carelessly
Ilrown away by the Russian nobility ia the
phrase which merged Behring sea in the
racine ocean. He cites long wears Of
abstinence from the seal waters by the ad.
Senturous people of the United States and
treat Britain as presumption of their lacl
" right to enter.
RUssIA's REIMBURSEMENT.
a. As stronger evidence of his correctness
secretary Blaine cites the protocols of til,
treaty OF 1874 to show that Russia's reliu
9llshment of Jurisdiction applied only t
Vle territory between the fiftieth anC
sH4tleth degrees. Also an explanatory note
from Russia to President Adams in 1924
pstiVely excepting the Aleutian Islands
ana the country of fifty-nine degrees. thret
SS!uuteS, from concession to the United
p p,a'es OF the right to fish and trade
Gro.. also cites the action O
tt.eaI Britain excluding We sells
T TS waters within eight leagues of st
a neiena when Napoleon was confined there
o o,u again refers to the protection exercised
T p the Ceylon pearl fisheries by Great
tnLrlUlan, saying that he is willing to accept
s suoSe provisions for the protection of th,
ia; la fisheries. He speaks Of the enormous
spJury inflicted by vessels under the British
S s upon the United States fisheries, Eanc
,ugSests that she send an intelligent COM
missioner to the seal islands.