The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-29
Its Mark Left in the Behring Sea
Seal Pie.
PRESIDENT HARRISON PLEASED
WITH SALISBURY'S LATEST.

Treaty Today Without Conditions.
LONDON, March 28.-Additional COR
respondence on the Behring sea contro-
versy shows the part taken in the nego-
tiations by the Canadian authorities.
Lord Stanley, governor general of Can
ada sent the following to Lord Knuts-
ford, colonial secretary, on February 23:
with reference to your telegram of the
10Th respecting modusivivendi, my min
listers do not possess any information to
show that modus vivendi is necessary
or that it can be reasonably demanded.
If such information reached Her Majes-
tys government, the Dominion govern
ment would not oppose such modus
vivendi, provided it were confined to q
zone of moderate limits, say 25 miles
around the seal islands, and provided it
is accompanied by stringent restrictions
against the killing of seals on land, with
a better supervision than that during the
modus vivendi of last year. Any ar
rangement of more extensive character
would involve the compensation of seal
ing vessels. For this, of course, Canada
could not be expected to make provision
from the funds of the Dominion
On the 9th inst, Mr.. George Baden
Powell, one of the British commission
ers, wrote to Lord Salisbury with refer
ence to the modus vivendi as follows: Il
am of the opinion that the taking of one
season. limited crop
Cannot Injure the Seal Herd,
but although not necessary, the renewal
of last years prohibition and the 1900
limit would be beneficial. As the arbi-
tration convention contains conditions re-
garding ocean rights, hope the Cana
dian government has warned the British
Columbian sealers that the ultimate own
ership of seals taken this year in Behring
sea depends upon the verdict of the arbi-
traitors. The alternative for the sealers
appears to be either to incur the expense
of the catch subject to this risk or to
forego, without compensation, one sea-
sons catch-say 10000 seals-in Behring
sea, on condition that 1900 instead of 30,-
600 be taken on the islands, an increased
number of seals in future seasons and
enhanced pfices for this spring being al
SO insured by such restrictions"
Lord Knutsford wrote as follows to
Lord Stanley, governor general of Cana
US, Oh pudICu 10. OlISC1 UiIo
court authority at all harbors on the Pa
cific coast 60 inform owners of vessels
who are clearing or have cleared this
year for Behring sea that Her Majesty's
government and the United States gov
ernment have agreed, subject to ratifica-
ton by the United States Senate,
To Submit to Arbitration
the question whether sealers have a
right, without permission from the
United States, to seal in the eastern half
of Behring Sea, east of the Russian line,
and it is possible that the sentence of
said tribunal may be given within the
present season. Moreover, both Her
Majesty's government and the United
States government have made propo-
sitions for intermediate regulations re-
straining the catching of seals in said
waters in case the said arbitration agree
ment should be ratified. Neither the ar
bitration agreement nor any intermediate
agreement has yet been definitely adopt
I'd between the two governments, and
whether any will be adopted or not, OF
on what date, is necessarily q matter of
uncertainty. Notice is hereby given
that all sealers proposing to seal in said
waters do so at their own risk, and after
warning of the liability to interruption
to which they will be exposed in conse-
quence of either of said agreements"