New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-27
,ur BrUgIyG sra ARBI1RATION.

The announced intention Of the Secretary OF
state TO resign bis office at an ealIy da'e III
order To take charge of th" submission al the
American ca.c b the Behring sea arDtratorS
at Paris Suggests IN" hope that mat aNiI" III
this matter may b. made during the coming
summer. II has no; been given ont prec'Sel!
IN what stage or preparation The case S''"u>'
Lut thc Governments involved are ~ 10 Them
solves both anxicuS ~ lave this ANNOYING con
troycr>y disposed Of, and it may be iaIIiy As
>umcd that they have made good Use oi 'he
time that has passed since the Admiration
Treaty was ratified. Canada, too ought 10
be DESTROYS of a quick settlement, for tho pol .
lev of delay which her Government imposed
uuon Lord Salisbury - greatly 10 the adNah-
t,ce Of the Columbian maiaudclS Will no longer
avail The condition, oil the mOdus Vychhl
enable the President 10 use such summary
n,occ>, in do1ling with the >calcrS as to render
:, VOYAGE into the prohibited waters Il great
and almost inevitable los.
Nv fine forms Of the Arbitration Treaty. the
cont. o9mn, sci of seven judges. two appoint
cd lev the President. TWO by Her Majesty one
hv the President of the French Republic one
lbs the KING OF Italy and one by ih" hIng ot
Norway and sweden. - T. meet AZ fdnS. ana
lis award i to be made within one year alter
the date on which ratlicition> OF the iItaiy
were exchanged This cl!l, ioi decision next
Apl1. bu, IL is not likely that the conventional
conditions viii b" - promptly met. The aN
bitlat,r> are entitled - take three months after
argument has been concluded for the purpose
Of dcIibclatng AID of expressing their decision.
and the argument j. still wanting. Secretary
Foster, proposed departure for Europe Is i"r
the puIro>e OF meeting his adVcr>aiI", IN tins
concluding counc' and when that j. done We
shall be within sight Of decision. The Amer
can AGENT and counsel express warm conidenc"
i'm their case and fortunately there j. no doubt
Of il able p!c-cniliI'n
Five distinct question, are t. be separately
answered by the count. They are all involved
in the last one which calls for definition %
the riaLt al hi, country. II any such nehi
exists. 10 protect ;hc iur-,cll herd IN the waters
Of Bchtiuc SEA. bins there is. nevertheless, 4
c.rtain advantage IN having each OF the other
question, explicitly answered. For If II be ad-
mittcd that Russia climod and exercised an
exclusive jur,dic ION in Bchring Sea while OWN
inc Ala,kl. and that all her rights passed 10
Ms unmpaIed. and II Great Britain cithc: tarlt-
is or cNplo,,y conceded ItnS,ias claims, the
final question must be decided in our favor,
and in 50 far a, any one OF these propositions
is solved 10 orr advantage, II becomes difficult
10 p.ciudice %, on the main issue. That, how
ever. Will not depend solely on the history Of
the case nor ON The general law Of free seas,
nor on such plcccdent> Is may be cited to su'-
tam or oppJ>, the cNlIaonlnaly claim OF an
cSpecia, iui.diotion beyond the marine league
limit The Bchrng ~oa controversy presents
unique features These are the fact, which
ought To control the decision That oar right
to the seal j. the best right because they breed
on our islands. whore at great expense we care
for them that such care, involving such eN-
pcn>c is necessary H. their existence that the
herd is not large nor ndcStuctlble but sup
plies an industry which cannot be divided with
out the danger Of It's extinction, and is there
fore an exception To the conditions which fur
nish the reason Of the general rule declaring
tho contents of the seas free 10 AL that the
industry Of seal killing can be safely conducted
only a the breeding place whore the catch can
be surely limited and safely gagged, where the
females can he protected and all waste pre-
vented. These facts being proved, cause is
established why an especial jurisdiction should
be conceded 10 Us for the purpose Of protecting
the seal at all places and at all times.