Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-24
Every one knows tina. the pre.en. admins

Every one knows that the present admins
tration will intelligen.ly and boldly sustain
the interests and honor Of the United States
In any foreign controversy Experience
has taught that truth. But as yet tbs
Boring sea contention ia hardly Gaze
for the burning of spectacular guu.
powder. It was annoying to the American
people to be compelled to assume q threatening
attitude toward little Chile, necessary as that
course was. There is now a disposition to de-
mand that we show ourselves equally intrepid
with a stronger adversary or plead guilty to
aowsrdice- Bot the Chilean matter was
one Of sentiment The American flag had been
5nsulted, our seamen assaulted and killed and
the United States government treated with
contempt The Boring sea controversy is up
10 the present a very matter-of- fact affair. 1t
u . contest of commercial and diplo-
matte shrewdness. England has not in
suited US by refusing to renew the modus
~ivendL We do not care whether she CO.
operates with US for the protection OF the
seals or not We regard the seals our prop
erty, Of which We are in possession Our title
is questioned, and We might be willing to sub
init the issue to arbitration rather than fight
over il, as there seems to be no point of
homer involved But meanwhile we remain
IN possession. and will protect our prop
srty against poachers. pirates. burglars and
sueak thisyes OF whatever nationality. II the
seals Jelong to the world, and not to US, we
vii turn them over to the world at the end of
che arbitration. but until decision has been
rsndersl against Us which we recognize. we
vii! not permit the world to dispossess US Of
fhe property and exterminate the subject
matter u ;he arbitration England can
refuse to help Us to protect the seals pending
arbitration, but by Withdrawing from that ar
Iangemsnt she tscitly agrees not to interfere
forcibly fo- the protection of Canadian
poaehers against Us. For such interference
would place England in the attitude
of declaring war agsinst us pend
Ing an arbitration OF the matter
n controversy. which she is supposed to favor.
HE American position is that the seals must
be protected pending arbitration. England
Bays that she will no longer cooperate in this
protection. This notice means that we must
protect them for ourselves IL i. meant that
she would send her ships into Bering sea
to cooperate with the pOachers. it would be
declaration of war But the bulk of the
English people want war as little as do the bulk
OF the American people. The English govern
ment would deserve and receive the abhor-
renee of the English-speaking world if. when
arbitration of question of dollars and cents
was exceedingly probable. it should adopt
such a course as to render war inevita-
Die between kindred EESlish-speaking peo-
pies Ii "a not to be assumed
that England will join her forces
with the seal pirates Until she does there is
nothing to get greatly excited about The
barest possibility that she may is, however,
sufficient to justify national precautions which
would be justified in The STARS opinion even
81 no Boring sea controversy existed The re-
public mus: strengthen its navy ard its coast
lefences-