The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-03-10

Upon what principles does he assume that.
If our claims are established. any diminu-
ton Of the seals. whether serious or not,
during this season, or indeed. any taking of
seals 10 TO be without reeompensef In the
opinion of the President IL 10 not consistent
with good faith that either party to an ar
bitration should, pending decision. In any
degree diminish the value of the subject of
arbitration OF take any profit from the use
of it without an agreement to account.
Before an agreement for arbitration bad
been reached, the prohibition of pelagIc
sealing was matter or comfy: from the
moment of the signing of that agreement
it became. in his the Presidentsl opinion,
matter of obligation"
The letter then goes on TO show from the
statistics of last season the danger OF the
utter extinction of seals, and says: "The
proposition of Lord Salisbury to probib i t
the killing of seals at sea within q zone
extending to not more than thirty nautical
miles around the Priby LODI islands is so
obviously inadequate and so impossible of
execution that this government cannot en-
te;taIn il. In the early part of the discus
sion of the subject of a modus for last year
this method was tentatively suggested,
among others. in conversation between
yourself and Mr.. Blaine. But it vas after
ward. in effect, agreed by both governments
TO be inadequate, and was not again TO
ferred To In the correspondence.
THAT IMAGINARY WATER LINE.
with your note of June you say: Lord
Salisbury points out that If such hunting
be prohibited on one side OF purely i'm
aginary line drawn In the open ocean while
it is permitted on the other side of the line.
it will be impossible in many cases to
prove unlawful sealing or to infer it from
the possession of skins or fishing tao le.'
This was said with reference to the latter
boundary of our purchase from Russia, but
1t is quite as applicable to the thirty milo
zone, which he now suggests. The preva-
lence of fogs in those waters gives inc ere ased
force and conclusiveness to the point made
by his lordship against en- imaginary water
line.
THE President cannot agree, now that
the terms of arbitration have been settled.
that the restrictions imposed shall be less
than those which both governments
deemed to be appropriate when il was
still uncertain whether an early adjust
ment of the controversy was attainable.
He, therefore. hopes that her Majesty's
government will consent to renew the ar
rangement of last year with the prompt
ness which the exigency demands and to
agree TO enforce it by refusing all clear
ences to sealing vessels for the prohi oited
waters and recalling from those waters all
such vessels as have already cleared.
This government will honorably abide
the judgment of the high tribunal which
has been agreed upon, whether that judg-
ment be favorable OF unfav orable and will
not seek to avoid a inst responsibility for
any of lite acts which by that judgment are
found to be unlawful But certainly the
United States cannot be expected to sus-
pend the defense. by such means as are
within lite power. of the property and juris-
dictIonaI rights claimed by it. pending the
arbitration, and to consent to receive them
from that tribunal, if awarded. shorn of
much of their value by the acts of ire
spOnsible persona
1t 10 learned that the illness of Secretary
Blaine prevented any consultation with
him as to Lord Salisbury's note opposing
the modus vivendi of last year, and that
the reply thereto, dated the Sth inst, and
transmitted by Mr.. Wharton, was in fact
written by the President.