Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-03-26
DOES 1T MEAN WAR?
President Harrison's Reply to Lord
Salisbury.
The Sealing Interests Will Bo Protected
n It Requires the whole Military
Foroe OF tho United States
In the Senate.

In the Senate.
WASHINGTON, March 24.-A message
from the president was delivered to
the senate soon after it assembled, and
the senate went into executive session,
presumably on the Behring sea ques-
ton.
Later it was learned that the presi-
dents message transmitted Lord Sails
bury's reply to the last note from this
government relative to the modus
vivendi Lord Salisbury's reply, as al
ready stated, is q virtual reiteration OF
his declination to renew the modus
vivendi on the same terms as existed
last year. After half hours discus
sion the correspondence was referred
to the committee on foreign relations
and tho doors reopened. The corre-
spondence was not made public
The president in his letter announced
that he had made u rejoinder to Lord
Salisbury's reply.
The presidents rejoinder is pun"
gent communication in which the pres
ident broadly, but in diplomatic
language, hints that Lord Salisbury
has not met his overtures in a straight
forward, busiuess-like manner. The
president insists upon the renewal OF
the modus vivendi without ref
erence to insignificant or ir-
relevant conditions, and closes
his note with the stirring assertion that
il the government of Great Britain de-
clines to assist in the protection Of the
seals during the arbitration OF the
claims of the United States he will pro-
coed to enforce the laws and exclude
poachers from Behring sea, If the mil
itary force of the United States is re-
quired to accomplish it
The reading of the note created q
sensation in the senate.
The gravity OF the case has led to
renewal of the strongest efforts Of the
senators to prevent the public being
made acquainted with the facts until
the correspondence has progressed
further.
There was no expression OF opinion
by the president in his letter of trans
initial, but this was not needed in
view of the clearly-dcfined position as
sumed by him in his rejoinder to Lord
Salisbury which appeared to meet the
unanimous approval of the senators,
although the debate itself was too
short to disclose officially the standing
Of the senators.
Although there has been nothing in
the nature of direct vote upon the
treaty of arbitration and although
there is q well-defined opposition
to it as q surrender by the United
States of her rights as acquired
by treaty from Russia, it is rea-
sonably certain that the treaty will
soon be ratified by the senate. But
a resolution will accompany it reciting
that there does not appear to be any
sufficient reason for the abatement by
the United States of its claims to juris-
diction, pending arbitration, and su-
thorizing the president to use all the
force of the military arm OF the gov
eminent to insure the protection OF the
rights of the United States.
THE PRESIDENTS ADVISERS.
WASHINGTON, March 24-Among the
presidents earliest callers this morn
ing were Gen. John Foster, who
was assisting him in the Behring
sea negotiations, and Senator Sher-
man, chairman of the senate COM
mittee on foreign relations. One OF
the questions under consideration was
the advisability of the prompt trans
mission to the senate of the CORE
spondence that had passed between
this country and Great Britain
as this point will have a most
important bearing on the senSte's
action on the pending treaty of srbi-
tration. II IL broadly estimated that
an implied disposition on the part OF
Great Britain to resent an interference
BY this government with vessels flying
the English flag engaged in pelagic
sealing in Behring sea would undoubt-
edly result in the rejection Of the treaty
in its present form. Tho correspond
ence consists, It IL understood, OF two
notes, the first being Lord Salisbury's
cable note of the 18th and q reply from
the president dated yesterday. Neither
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