The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-03-28
THE NEW PHASE OF THE BEHRING
SEA QUESTION.

Ola SOLIc1 LINN
The letter of the President in reply to
Lord Salisbury is statesmanlike paper,
strong, vigorous and inspires every self
respecting American with regard for the
manliness and patriotism of the Execu-
tive.
Brought down to a concise statement
this is the situation, one which makes
England's attitude toward us trifling,
and, as the President suggests, very little
short of insulting. The two Govern
ments agreed to submit to arbitration the
question concerning the regulation of
seal taking in Behring Sea. and the claim
of superior jurisdiction over sealing in
those waters preferred by the United
States. Pending the adjustment ola basis
of arbitration and the formulation of a
treaty for it, the two Governments agreed
upon moduS by which seal taking was
suspended.
The treaty having been agreed to and
submitted for ratification, English sealers
enter the waters and begin to take seals.
The United States protests and England
replies that the agreement of suspension
has expired. The President thereupon
insists upon its renewal. Lord Salisbury
answers that to do so will prevent
Canadian sealers pursuing their industry,
and he therefore declines. He adds, how
ever, that he is willing to concede that
the sealers shall give bonds for any dam
ages the arbitrators may find, if the find
ing is against England's assertion of her
unrestricted right to take seals in those
waters, outside of the shore belt.
To this our Government responds that
the English Premier is trifing, as he well
knows that the treaty of arbitration gives
the arbitrators no power whatever to assess
damages; he suggests that England is
playing dishonest game, because, while
diplomatic correspondence is going on
Canadian sailers are actually sailing
for the fishing grounds and will destroy
the mother seals and their young in de-
fiance of our claim, and of common hon.
esty, and in violation of humane and
natural laws. Finally, that if England
does not at once consent to renewal of the
modus Ui0e7ldf the United States will
patrol the sea and stop the illegal sealing.
There the matter rests.
There is, throughout the Presidents
letter, strain indicating that the United
States made an error in consenting that
the question of ''a closed sea- should be
waived, and suggestion runs with this
thought that the United States may. re-
assert its right to exclusive jurisdiction
and sole ownership over the marine terri
tory.
On the heels of this Russia declares. it
is reported, that what she sold to the
United States in 1867 she had the right to
sell; that it was an exclusive right, and
had never been questioned or doubted,
and that she cannot complacently re-
main idle and see that title made the sub
ject of dispute, since it might affect her
exclusive right to her half of Behring
Sea, and which neither the English nor
any other nation has ever trespassed
upon or pretended to have right to in
wade.
It IS clear that the English Ministry ia
playing with us; that it has advanced
propositions insincere and absurd, and
hence insulting when addressed to ma
lion. 1t is equally clear that we have
been too yielding, too DESTROYS to pre-
vent irritation. and are now esteemed
cowardly. Indeed English newspapers
do not hesitate to assert as much and to
say that we are simply clustering.
To US it seems plain and undeniable
that we made mistake in leaving the
closed sea and sole control questions ont
Of the issues; that we made a prayer mis-
take in ever submitting to arbitration a
question that is not properly the subject
of such settlement; that we moved
toward the giving our case away
when we agreed to arbitrate claim 10
that which is ours by right of purchase.
occupancy and decades of undisputed
possession. For all which we have to
thank our extreme anxiety to prevent
war and the unreasoning opposition OF
such of the snarling press of the East as
invariably sides against its own country
xuba,, ~, EpoliSb claim is r,raforra5. or1,,,
mitted us to blunder that now makes
us the butt of English ridicule and has
brought upon US the just reproach OF
Russia, which has ever been our friend
IF the present irritation will open the
door for our retreat and return to the