The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-26
ON THE BRITISH SIDE.

While the attitude Of the Democratic party
in Congress and the general expressions of
the Democratic press on the Bering Sea
question are such as to deprive the admins
tration Of any special advantage before the
people. there are occasional uite:ances in
Democratic papers which give our northern
neighbor good deal of comfort. The New
York World is The most conspicuous sinner
in this respect. The Victoria C0loniSt quotes
the following from the World:
The United States have no legal right TO seals
on the high seas, whether they swimming TO
the PIibyloff Islands or TO Siberia. The con.en-
ton of Mr.. Harrison in tie letter signed by
Assistant Secretary Wharton that there is virtue
in The absurd legal claims put forward in the
early Part. of his administration, aud that the
arblratOrs will seriously consider claim for
damages, is pure pettifogging.
The COloRist adds: This is very plain
talk. There is not journal in the Dominion
of Canada that has condemned the American
contention in such strong terms" The
u ord, always DESTROYS of distinction of
some kind. is doubtless happy in the admis-
sion of the fact that it has gone beyond
British papers in support of the British side
of the question.
Another example IF lofty patriotism is
found in the Chicago Times, from which
the same Victoria paper quotes follows:
II there be need Of war with any country for
the protection OF this (the sesD Industry, let
those fight and pay the bills WHO are vitality in
terested.
The CojOniSt naively remarks: 1--WE have
seen nothing in a Canadian newspaper as
strong as this" Our northern friend takes
great satisfaction in their expression of hos
tility to the American contention. and ex-
h,lt. f eT,o+, L. "a,
thinking "are numerous enough to restrain
reckless statesmen from committing the
country to policy which would make the
settlement of the question in q peaceful
way matter of very great difficulty" 1t
appears that the British Prime Minister is
not quite so sure that the Americans have
no case as the two Democratic journals
from which quotations have been given.
When a Cabinet Minister submits case to
arbitration, lie admits that there is some
ground for the adverse claim. 1t becomes,
therefore, matter of interest to know
what points in the Boring Sea case ale
submitted to arbitration. They are five in
number aud as follows:
l. What exclusive jurisdiction in the sea now
known as The Bering Sea and what exclusive
rights In thu seal fisheries therein did Russia
assert and exercise prior and mp 10 the time of
the cession of Alaska to the United States?
2. How far were these claims OF jurisdiction as
TO tie seal fisheries recognized ana conceded by
Great Britain?
3. Was The body OF water now known as the
Berlng Sea Included In The phrase Pacific
Ocean" as used in the treaty OF 1925 between
Great Britain and Russia; and what rights. II
any, IN the Bering Sea were held and exclusively
exercised by Russia after said treaty?
i. Did not all The rights Of Russia as ID iuris-
nd "a n he Il H-lfar fs,p
east OF The water boundary, III the treaty between
The Unit States and Russia OF the 3Oth March.
1867, pass unimpaired TO The United States I'M
der that treaty?
3. HIS the United States any right. and II so,
what light, of protection property IN the fur
seals fIeQuenting the islands Of the United States
in Bering Sea when such seals are found outside
lie Ordinary three mile limit?
The submission # tie first point binds the
British Government to admit exclusive iur-
isdction on the part of the United States in
Bering Sea in the event or decision favor
able to the American contention. Lord Sal
isbury was not so confident that the United
States has no legal right to seals on the high
seas as the " ord seems to have been. The
whole case of the clOsed-sea contention is
covered In the nrst four points. II the de-
cisi0n is favorable to the United States the
United States will proceed to exercise ex-
elusive jurisdiction over the waters If
Boring Sea. The fifth point is based upon
an assumption Of a property right in seals,
even If the four points are decided against
Us. Lord Salisbury, therefore, seems to
have placed what the World and Times de-
clare TO be clear British rights at the hazard
Of arbitration. He cannot know that the
decision on the five points will not be adj
verse to England. The British Prime Min
lister, therefore, seems in great need of an
American adviser in conducting controver-
sizes on American subjects.