The National tribune., 1892-10-06
THE gERING SEA QUESTION,

The EERING SEA QUESTION
The United States officials who are prepar-
ing our case for the Bering Sea arbitration are
greatly pleased at the action of the Russian
authorities in selling British and Canadian
sealing vessels in Boring Sea, as they believe
shat this act will be Of material assistancs in
sustaining the claims Of orr Government, which
are derived from Russia by tho purchase of
Alaska, before the board Of arbitration. No
matter how greatly these seizures may embar-
rass and annoy the people of Canada, United
States officials do not apprehend that there will
be any serious complication between England
and Russia because of them.
By the treaties Of 1924 the United States and
England each acknowledged Russia's right to
exciusiv We jurisdiction to the territory involved
in the present arbitration, and the United
States claims are founded upon Russia's con-
veyance to 1t.
The preliminary proceedings necessary to the
meeting of the board Of arbitration are pro-
crossing as rapidly as possible under tho terms
of the treaty. The original cases Of both parties
to the controversy have been delivered TO the
arbitrators and the agents of each Government,
and counsel for both parties have been engaged
in examining and consulting over the docu-
ments furnished by their adversary in both
Washington and London, and will shortly pro-
pare the counter cases, which, with the addi-
tioIal evidence to sustain the same, must be ex-
changed by the 7th Of December, unless the sx-
tension, which may BE of 50 days duration,
is applied for BY either party within the next
week. Although there has been no official
statements made of the fact, it is believed in
official circles that the extension will be asked
for, and that the arbitrator will not meet in
Paris, where the sessions of the board are TO be
held until in March next.
The arbitrators the part of England have
been announced TO the Department of State by
Mr.. Herbert. Secretary Of the British Legation,
Charged flares in the absence OF Sir Julian
Pauncefote They are Baron Hammer. OF
the Lords Of Appeal in Ordinary, and Sir John
g. Thompson, G. G. lI. g.. Minister Of Justice
and Attorney General of Canada Mr.. Charles
Topper Canadian Minister of Marine and
Fisheries is the agent in charge Of the case OF
Great Britain before the arbitrator, and the
counsel are: Attorney General Young. of Eng
| land w. II. Cross, M. F., of Liverpool, and c.
Robinson @. C., OF Canada.
Additional testimony secured by Secretary oil
State Foster. agent in charge Of the case of the
United States which was not available to the
| Bering Sea agents of the two countries at their
sessions in Washington last Winter. goes to sus-
| tain the contention made by the United States
| that poaching in Boring Sea is responsible fol
| the falling off of the number of seals.
! A. Alexandria, who visited the seal islands
| this Summer on the Fish Commission steamer
Albatross, says that seals do not breed in the
water, as the Canadians assert, but in the rock.
| cries. as the American experts claim. The
poachers are directly responsible for the fear.
| full falling off in the sealing. Their claim that
the seals have migrated elsewhere will no,
made careful search for new grounds without
!