The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-22
LORD SALISBURY REFUSES.
His Reply Is Very Brief. and British
Warshins Gather at Esouimalt

4 L
His Reply Is Very Brief. and British
Warships Gather at Esquimalt.
New York, March pa morning pa
per is informed from Washington City
that Lord Salisbury's reply is a naked re-
fusal to continue the mo6us vivendi and
accompanied by no assurance, verbal Or
otherwise, that the British government
Will not concentrate her iieet in Berlng sea.
WAsHtSGToN CITY, March 2i.-It is i'm
possible to obtain any official information
concerning the note received from Lord
Salisbury yesterday on the Bering sea
question. One rumor that has many be-
levers is that Lord Salisbury has answered
the presidents note insisting on the neces-
sity of a modus vivendi with counter
proposition that in case one is agreed upon
the United States shall agree to indemnify
Canadian vessel owners for losses incurred
thereby. The United States has already
rejected a proposition of this kind Gen.
erai Foster. representing the state depart
ment in this matter, had two interviews
with the president on the subject today,
and the impression is general that they
considered the character of the reply to be
made to Salisbury. 1t is pretty well es
posed to recede from the position already
assumed in regard to the preservation of
the seal herd, and will take steps to secure
that end with or without cooperation of
the British government
Another report in circulation tonight is
to the effect that the communication was
merely short disparch stating that
reply proper to Acting Secretary Whar-
tons note of the Sth inst. is being prepared
and nearly ready, and will be adverse to
the request for modus vivendi. Accord
ing to the same report the communication
says, in effect, that the British government
will not interfere with the policing of
Bering sea by United States vessels pend
ing the negotiations and settlement of the
questions at issue by arbitration, though
1t may hereafter ask for damages in behalf
of such Canadian sealers as may suffer by
seizure or interference by American ves-
sells
1t is said at the navy department that
no orders have been issued looking to the
dispatch of naval fleet to Berjng sea this
season, and that no action of that kind
will be taken until the policy of this gov
ernment has been clearly defined, or until
the department is informed that the reve-
nue. vessels to be used in patrolling the sea
are inadequate for the service. Notwith-
standing this semi-official statement, it is
said that the department is preparing ves-
sells for service in the Northern Pacific
ocean in the event that they will be
needed. The Adams and the Ranger are
now being fitted out at Mare Island, Cal.
Both will enter into commission in a short
time. Another vessel that will un-
doubtedly go to Bering sea this
spring is the Mohican, now at Seat
tie. Other vessels that can be
utilized in case it should be deemed advis-
able to strengthen the fleet, are: The Bal
timore, at San Francisco; the Charleston,
at San Diego, and the Boston and the
Yorktown, en- route for San Francisco
These, or portion of them, with the
revenue vessels Bear, Rush, Corwin and
Albatross, would constitute quite fornid-
able fleet
VICTORIA, B. c.. March 21-TSpecial. /
The captain of II. NJ S. Daphne tells me
today that the admiral has, during the
past two weeks changed his plans entirely
and has altered the routes and dates of
every snip in the Pacific squadron mater
tally. 1t had been previously decided that
the Dapne should go out of commission on
April |, but it is pretty certain now that
this move will not be made. The
Warspite, instead of taking a trip
to Honolulu and STAYING there
some time, reached Santa Barbara today
and is now en- route to Esquimalt. The
champion will not summer in Chilean
waters, according to her programme when
she left here. Instead of lying in Val
paraiso she has other work TO do, and is
fast coming up the Pacific in the track of
the Warspite. The powerful Melpomene
is also, by latest orders, withdrawn
from Chile. and is just now leaving Aca-
pulco for Victoria. So that by April .
the flagship and the Champion will be
here, and by ihe middle of the month the
Melpomene also. The Nymphe and Gar
net will then be the only warships
fyinf the British flag on the Chilean
coast. The postoffice authorities in
London have received cable adyices
from Admiral Hotham to rescind all
past-made dates in favor of these latter
ones sent them, and telegram received
from Santa Barbara yesterday TO the
senior officer command ng informed him
that the new arrangements are as stated.
There is reason to believe that when
it will be found he is in possession of dis
tinct instructions regarding any new
phaze of the Bering sea question, and it is
evident that the British government in
tends. should occasion call for it, to have
powerful material at hand to send to
Bering sea.
LONDON, March 2i.-In the house o!
commons, in reply to the question put to
the government on the subject, James
Lowther, parliamentary secretary for the
foreign office, stated that final under
standing between Great Britain and the
United States, with regard 10 the Bering
sea question. had not yet been arrived at.
He added that negotiations are still pro-
ceeding.
The Collection District Dispute.
WAsHINGToY CITY, March 21.-lSpecial.1