St. Paul daily globe., 1892-03-13
OUR RIGHTS IN BEHRINo SEA.

but it was carried out wholly in that
spirit. During the life of this charter,
while the sealing industry attracted
worldwide attention. it does not appear
that the waters in the vicinity OF the
magnificent Behring sea rookerieS were
in anv manner operated in by Sealers
except those acting under this Russian
charter. 1t may be reasonable perhaps
to presume that certain clauses in the
ukase of 1899 instructlng the Russian
warships to protect the exclusive priv
ileges of the Russian Fur company had
an effect in perSuading the British and
Yankee sealers away from the prem
ises
Under the ukase of 1899 Russia made
Behring sea de fact0 closed sea Sofa
as the sealing industry was concerned.
At least no evidence has so far appeared
which shows or tends to show the con-
trary.
Salisbury Explains.
In seeking to explain away the moral
inference arising from the Intrusion OF
British sealers into American waters
after they had for more than fifty years
so carefully respected them as Russian
territory, Lord Salisbury says:
ut must be remembered that British Co.
lumbia has come into existence as colony ut
q comparatively recent date, and that the hrst
considerable influx of population, some thirty
years ago. was due to the discovery OF gold,
and did not tend to the immediate develop
ment of the shipping interests
Upon this point the following facts
will bear with pertinence:
During the first twenty-five years OF
the period 1799-1S67, while Russia eX-
cluded all foreigners from the seal fish
cry in Behring sea, that Industry was
carried on in the most extensive and
reckless manner in other parts of tine
world by British and American vessels,
and resulted in the determination Of
seals in those localities.
Sealing in the South Seas.
In the year 1900 the rookeries of the
Georgian islands produced $4,000 seal
pelts: 10000 were produced here from
1906 to 1928. and over 100000 more
were taken near the island of Desola-
tion. More than 100000 skins were
taken from the island of Masafuera
and shipped to China in 1889. Three
million seal skins were taken during
1901 around the South Shetland
islands, and resulted in the eXterlnina
tion of the species in that locality.
At Antipodes island, off the coast of
New South Wales, 100000 fur seals
were obtained in the years 1S14-15.
AS result of the extensive sealing
operations above described, and which
were mostly carried on by citizens of
England and the United States, the sur
ply of fur seals in the South seas had
become practically exhausted by the
year 1880.
In the presence of these facts it. is
hardly reasonable to suppose that the
British sealers did not commence
''takin' notice" of the great rookeries
in Behring sea until after the year of
our Lord 1867.
The Ukase of 1921.
In September, 1921, the emperor of
Russia issued the celebrated ukasc, of
which the following is material to the
question of the rights of the United
States in Behring sea:
Sec1. The transaction of commerce and
the pursuit of whaling and fishing or '.ny
other industry, on the islands, in the harbors
and inlets and in general, all along the
northwestern coast of America from Behring
straits TO the ffty-first parallel of northern
latitude. and likewise on the Aleutian
islands, and along the eastern coast Of ST.
IBERIA, and to the Kurile islands. that is, from
Behring strait to the southern promontory of
the island of Urup, namely, as Tar south as
latitude As deg 50 min. north, are ex-
clusively reserved to the subjects of the
Russian Empire.
Sec 2. Accordingly, no foreign vessel shall
be allowed either to put to shore at any of
the coasts and islands under Russian domin-
ion, as specified In the preceding section, or
even to approach the same to within a dis
tance of less than 100 Italian miles Any
vessel contravening this proposition shall be
subject to confiscation, with her whole
cargo.
Now, to the ukase of 1899 and the
proceedings maintained under 1t the
powers made no objection. But they
did object most vigorously to this one.
The cause was the following new and
distinct features:
a. The territorial jurisdiction of
Russia was extended southwark on the
American side over distance of about
$50 miles.
CD The whole north end of the Pa