New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-09
ARBITRATION DISCUSSED.
THE BEHRrNG SEA TREATY IN THE SENATE
MR.. TELLER THINKS THE PROPOSAL TO ARBI
TRATE THE DIFFICULTY INVOLVES con.
CESSION-OTHER SENATORS FAVOR RAT.
IFICATToN AND REPRISALS on THE
CANADIANS-THE CABINET con
SIDER THE PROTEST TO
SALIsBURY'S MOTIF
(BY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE !

impartial tribunal the settlement of certain differ
enccs to thc right of this country to control
the seal fishing industry in I}chrng Sea sent to-
day 10 the Senate by President Harrison formal
message of transmission accompanied the text Of
the treaty but, contrary 70 the general cXpecta-
tion. no recommendation of any sort regarding the
convention was made II had been thought that
the President in view of Lord Salisbury's refusal.
after the signing of The treaty, TO renew last sea-
sons modus vivcndi would suggest 10 the Senate
some modification OF the convention by which the
enforcement of another close season might he OBJ
tained. No such suggestion however, offered 10
day. though it is not improbable that in transmit
ting TO the senate later in the week tho recent
correspondence between the two Governments on
the Bchring Sea difficulty the President may out
line briefly the Administrations policy in dealing
with the refusal TO renew The modus vivcnd
II was apparently the intention of the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations to have the treaty
simply received and referred to-day, without
entering upon formal discussion Of the ques-
tions oil international policy involved in il. That
there was some debate upon thcse questions was
due 70 chance. The message from the White
House arrived early in the afternoon, but was
held on the Vce-Prcsidcnt's desk until nearly 4
o'clock, when on motion Of Mr. Sherman, chair
man OF the Committee on Foreign Relations, the
Senate went into executive session. The text of
the treaty was ordered read, and as usual after
the public reading Of such documents. an eX
planaiion Of the contents was found necessary "a
soon ~ the clerk had finished. Mr.. Sherman, con-
scquently, felt obliged 10 give brief and tersc
summary of the important points covered by the
convention, and he naturally followed this with
some comments on the conditions created by
Lord Salisburys unexpected and apparently I'M
4. sho
through another summer
Mr. TELLER THINKS 1T \ CONCESSION.
His frank and full statement Of the case drew
ont some spirited reflections from Senator Teller.
who is understood TO have taken the ground that
the treaty might as well be abrogatcd. in view
Of the recent hostile actions Of the British Prime
Minister The United States Mr. Teller il said
to have contcndcd, never abandoned its iurisdic-
,ion over Bchring Sea. and would be justified
in asserting it now in spite Of the protests of any
other Government. To agree TO submit this iurs-
diction 20 arbitration under present conditions
would BE- Mr. Teller l. reported rs saying, en-
tircly too cXactiug a concession 10 the views Of
Great Britain Mr. Teller also criticised the choice
Of arbirators provided for in the treaty. pointing
ont that one OF the three neutral Judges would
be n subject of Italy. power with which the
United States was at present on decidedly strained
relations. The whole drift OF Mr.. Tcllers re-
marks as they have sif,cd TO the public, was
toward the rejection Of the treaty. and he I'M
doubtcdly represented the sentiment OF n number
Of Senator'S who will oppose the ratification ot
the PENDING convention unless its provisions are
materially modified.
senator Hale followed Mr. Teller, and argued
ably and forcihly for the ratification of the treaty
in substantially It's present form. He is said TO
tl,.tttS i'm ~
,ions involved TO board of arbitration bound
Grcnt Britain TO recognition Of this Governments
nropertv rights In Irhring Sea-a recognition
which the British Government had up 10 this time
alwnys strcnuousv withheld. Diplomacy had,
after many years Of effort, succeeded in getting
the harae-ing dispute between the two countries
into such shape that il could he decided fairly ana
impartially-or as fairly and impartlally ms practl
cablc-and the remission Of the difficulty now To
its old condition Of hopeless confusion ana lndeh-
nitcncSs would bc "a serious misfortune Mr. Hale,
H. il understood, thought that arbitration conld
still be carried on, notwithstanding the uncrr-
tainty about the renewal of the modus VlVcndl'
and he deprecated sacrificing the chief result OF the
rrotr,ctcd negotiations 0f The last two three years
simply because the prospect Of obtaining close
season this summer is not encouraging as II
should be.
FOR RFPRISALS on CANADA.
Mr. Frye. who is prominent member OF the
Foreign Relations Committee, favorcl ratiil-
cation Of the arbitration treaty, and an cndcavor
10 settled the controversy far possible IN that
way As to the refusal TO renew the moduS
vivcnd he advocated vigorous policy oi re-
taliation on Canada to enforce the demand OF the
United States for close season In l$hrlnS sea
Rcpris,s. hc said, should bc taken on Canadian
IL, hp plal ~
abandon her poaching trade in Gchrn2 Sea.
Mr.. Fryc's suggestion Of discrimination against
Canadian railroads was supported it is said, by
Senator CuIlom, who thought i practicable to
make Canada suffer losses in that way serious
and inconvcnient as tie damage done by Canadian
poachers to this country's interests in the seal
fisheries Senator Morgan, the senior minority
member of the Foreign Relations Committee, ana
Senator Felton, u CalitCrnla, maGe specchc', Mt
FELTON, giving some statistics to show the enormous
injury done the seal fishery industry III the lass
two ycals. and predicted its ruin il measures
shouId not bc taken to protect the seal herds this
year.
Then. ms Mr. Blackburn had been waiting for
some time 10 announce the death of Representative
Kendall of Kentucky, the executive session was
brought 10 an end rather abruptly, with the refer
encc of thc treaty 10 tie Foreign Relations Com
mttce with the UNDERSTANDING 'hat thc diSrusSloh
would be taken up again tomorrow or the day
after.
The treaty itself is document Of from ton to
twenty pages. It's cher provisiohs nave already
been summarized in these dispatches. BY its terms
the two countries agree TO submit to arbitration
practically the six propositions suggested in Mr..
Blainc's note of December II, 1890. to Sir Julian
Pauncefotc, propositions which have been re-
pcatcdly printed in The Tribune The board of
arbitration is 30 consist of seven members two
from the United States two from Great Britain
ione of them Canadian, and one each appointed
by the Governments of France, Sweden and Italy.
The sessions Of the board are 10 be held in Paris.
1t is expected that the injunction Of secrecy will be