Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-03-30
WILL RUSSIA BACK US?
ships to Assist in Guarding the Seal Fish
cries.

! reported on ROOu duIDOTlGy Inab Inc
| President has been given by the Rus
sian minister assurances that the Rus
| sian government will cooperate with
| this government in the matter of pro-
tecting seal life in Behring Sea. The
| Russian minister is credited with
the assertion that his govern
ment would add four men-of-
war to the fleet of six ironclads now at
| Nladivostock. Those senators who fav-
| or the position the President has as
sumed in the correspondence with Lord
Salisbury found much to stiffen their
backbones when they learned that there
was strong probability that Russia
would be found on the side Of the Unit
ed States in the event of hostilities
growing out Of the question of protect
ing the few seals remaining in B ehring
Sea.
| Navy Department authorities hardly
! know how far to 90 in the line of extra
ordinary preparations until the inter
national correspondence bears q more
| conclusive aspect, and they are impa-
! tiently waiting for this to happen.
| Meanwhile, although the navy officials
! concede that our relations with Great
| Britain are decidedly strained, few
of them in reality expect actual
! hostlities to arse. 1t is also
pointed out by naval experts that
it VIII hardly be the policy of the de-
| partment to concentrate q heavy force
of vessels in Behring Sea, for even if
hostilities should be preclpltated by an
| exchange OF shots In those waters the
| would not no tOr1uh+ thnrn h11t
nearer home. Whatever vessels are
| sent to Behring Sea by either nation
will be intended simply for service in
connection with the sealing controversy,
and not with the idea of engaging in
any genera! conflict there. At present
| there are seven or eight British war
| ships on the Pacific station, three of
| which are large cruisers. The latter
would probably not be sent to Behrlng
Sea in any case, but would be retained
in British Columbian waters, and it is
altogether likely that our heavy
cruisers now on the Pacific Coast will be
similarly held at San Francisco to await
developments. The principal indica-
ton of active preparation at
the Navy Department is in con-
| neCtion with the matter of coal
supplies for the Behring Sea fleet.
Navy officials have been in consultation
during the last two or three days with
representative of the North American
Commercial Company and received as
surances from him Of the ability Of the
company to furnish at Dutch harbor
ample supplies of coal for as large fleet
as the government could possibly send
northward at satisfactorily low rates.
The seriousness of the Behring Sea
situation is shown by the fact that Sec
rotary Blaine attended the cabinet
meeting to-day, Notwithstanding he has
not fully recovered from bis severe at
tack of the grippe. All the other mem
bers were prompt in attendance.
Secretaries Foster and Tracy had con-
ference prior to the meeting, presum-
ably in regard to the orders to be sent
to the naval and revenue vessels
to be assigned to the duty
Of patroling the sealing grounds.
1t is practically settled that this SER
vice will be assigned to the war ships
town, Adams, Ranger and Mohican, and
the revenue vessels COrWin, Bear, Rush
and Albatross.
The entire session of the cabinet was
devoted to the consideration of the
Behring Sea question. 1t is under
stood that this government will
await a reply from Lord Salisbury
to the Presidents note of the
22d inst. before proceeding on
the assumption that Great Britain will
not cooperate in measures for the
protection of the sealing industry. Sem
ators Sherman and Gray, of the foreign
with 81 President to-day, in regard to
the treaty of arbitration.
A cabinet officer this afternoon stated
there is no truth in the report that
Russia had agreed to cooperate with
the United States to protect the fs>al
herds in Behring Sea.
The correspondence in the Behring
Sea matter has been made public. It is
as follows:
BRITISH LEGATION, WAsHINTON, D. c.,
MARCH. IL, 1S92.-SiT: On receipt of your
note of March s. | Immediately telegraph
ed to the Marquis Of salisbury the subject
Of its contents, in accordance with the re-
quest which you expressed on behalf of
the President, and have now the honor to
inform you that l. have this day received a
reply from his lordship by telegram to the
following effect: Lord Salisbury again
points out that the information in posses
sion OF Her MaieSty's government does not
lead them to believe that another years
suspension OF sealing is necessary to pre-
vent an undue dimlnutlon of the seal herds.
His lOrdShip, however, proceeds to observe
by your government that they have a right
co be protected from the loss which they
may incur from free sealing being permit
ted this year. in the event of their claim to
Behring Sea beng upheld by the arbltra-
tors. He states thai Her Majesty's govern
ment does not dispute that after the ratIfic
| alton Of the convention, there will be some
foundation for this contention, but he
| adds that the prohibition of all
sealing as a remedy has this defect, that
the British SealerS excluded from Behring
Sea would have an undOubted ground OF
complaint, it the British claims should be
upheld by the arbilrators Moreover,
there is no security that the arbitration
will be concluded before the sealing sea-
son Of 1898. Thus an arbitration between
Great Britain, the United States and Portu-
gal, which has already occupied four years,
is still pending.
Serious damage would be caused to the
industry by a suspension Of sealing for a
long period. In view of all the above con-
siderationS it appears to Her Majesty S
government that it would be more equit-
able to provide that sealing in Behring Sea
shall continue On the condition that the
owner of every sealing vessel shall give
security for satisfying any damages which
the arbitrator may adiudge. [ shall be