The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-28
THE BERING SEA ARBITRATION.

The credit of the pending Boring sea
arbitration treaty negotiated with Great
Britain belongs to Mr.. Blaine. The Ber-
ing sea controversy came into Mr.. Blaine's
hands loaded down with the needless
weight of the ill-advised seizures of Presi-
dent Cleveland's administration. Secre-
tary Blaine has for two years been trying
to secure a settlement on the broad right
of the United States to protect its property
in seals under the ordinary rights of prop
erty, the jurisdiction early claimed by
Russia, and the English legislation, which
has from time to time recognized, and
today recognizes, Q marine jurisdiction
more than three miles from shore, notably
in the case of her pearl fisheries in the
Indian ocean.
Mr.. Blaines points to be arbitrated in
sclude the property right Of the United
States in seals on the high seas This
right rests upon basis similar to that of
the claim that citizen of the United
States might have to property in British
vessel on the high seas which he would
have no right to enforce by seizure, but
would have full right to establish by an
admiralty suit. An international tribunal
might decide that Mr.. Blaines point is
well taken. that valid property existed
in seals at a distance from their breeding
ground and at the same time deny the
claim of the United States to protect this
right by the seizure of poaching vessels
under another flag. Should the interna-
tional tribunal reach this decision, a nat
ural consequence would be an inter-
national agreement for the protection of
such property rights in seals at sea.
The English members of the commission
that recently returned from Alaska main
tain that deep sea fishing will not destroy
the herd if its practice by both nations is
adequately regulated, which would practi-
cally admit Canada's claim to share in the
seal fisheries of our Alaskan waters. The
United States could hardly afford this
concession, so long as Canada and New
foundland enforce their full technical
rights to the Atlantic fisheries under the
treaty of 1878. Canada and Newfound-
land own the bait and the shore needed
for fishing operations in the North Allan
tic just as we do the North Pacific, and
the Dominion government cannot in fair
ness protest against our closing our Pacific
seal fisheries against her vessels until she
fully opens the North Atlantic fisheries to
the United States.
The Boston Herald last summer sent a
correspondent into Bering sea who cruised
in
mony Of this correspondent has convinced
the Herald. which, as an independent
newspaper, cannot be suspected of any par
tisan desire TO favor Secretary Blaine. that
1.-THE only sure way of maintaining the
fur seal species is to prohibit the killing of
fur seal in any part of Boring sea or of the
great straits leading through the Aeutin
islands into the Pacific ocean. The right
TO kill seal should be restricted to the two
islands of st. Paul and st. George, under
conditions practically the same as those
that have obtained for the last twenty
years"
The Canadian argument of natural Stree
sea" rights can hardly be pleaded success
fully by England, since in defiance of this
general principle of free seas she holds to-
day three great pearl fisheries in the In
dian ocean. The United States own the
seals island rookeries, and the Boston
Herald is satisfied by the testimony of its
correspondent that the rookeries are the
only places where the seals can be slain
without ruinous waste and sure extermina-
ton. The United States will seek to
satisfy the international tribunal of arbi-
tration that by reason of the smallness of
the herd the free and common use of the
seal fishery endangers that right and
prejudices Us in our use of it,"
Ii We can do this the tribunal will be
likely 10 decide that we should be let
alone in our possession of the islands and
the industry they supply; and if We can
not do this We shall lose our case. This
really is the strength of our case, which
is stated fully in the first clause of Mr..
Blaine's fifth point submitted for arbitra-
ton, wig: What are now the rights of
the United States in the fur seal fisheries
in the waters of Boring sea outside of the
ordinary territorial limits?' This is
really the whole case and il does not
seem probable that any international
tribunal of arbitration will hesitate to
coneede to the United States seal fisheries
IN the North Pacific at least as ful! pro-