The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-26
GLADSTONE TAKES A HAND
His Organ Will Oppose Salisbury's
Behring Sea Policy.
IDEA OF ARMED COLLISION NOT
ENTERTAINED IN ENGLAND,

Although the Thunderer Fears Results if
Rival Feets Meet-British Politicians
Hunting for Election Material in the
Issue-Salisbury's Latest Note Sent to
Washington-Sir Charles Tupper Wants
Canadian Attachee at Washington.
copyright 1892 by the New York Associated
Press.
LONDON, March 25.-Cable dispatches
giving the drift of the Behring sea cor
respondence as laid before the United
States Senate have melted the Liberal
leaders to adopt an attitude of opposition
on the question. A week ago the Lib
eral leaders were inclined to support
Lord Salisbury and the Liberal organs
until yesterday took a view adverse to
the position of the United States govern
ment. Now the whole tenor of opinions
expressed in the lobby of the House of
Commons indicates that the opposition
means to seize on this chance to arraign
Lord Salisbury as pursuing needlessly
vexatious course, instead Of asserting
to the reasonable arrangement
offered by the Washington gov.
ernment. Tomorrow's Speaker"
Mr. Gladstone's organ will contain an
inspired article which, after analyzing
the expert evidence on seal-killing, main
tains that the renewal of the modus
vivendi ought to be assented to by the
British government and continues:
s'Why should the government be asked
to promote the success of American ad-
venturers who deliberately undertake
dangerous speculative enterprise of
doubtful legality and doubtful utility to
mankind? AT the outside, the capital
and outfit of those adventurers amount to
100000 pounds. Their success might
make the fur seal
AS Extinct as the Dodo.'
If the existence Of the seal is at stake,
how can the damages be measured? We
are not going to war with the United
States, not even in the interest of the
federation of the empire. Pending ar
bitration, it is unjust to refuse to con-
tinue an arrangement which was a part
of the condition under which arbitration
was agreed on"
The Unionist organ, ''The Spectator"
takes the government side, but will have
only brief note advocating a settlement
that will open the sea to Canadian seal
ers, with a provision for recompense to
the Americans in the event of the decis-
ion of the arbitrators being against
Great Britain.
Lord Salisbury's reply to President
Harrison's last note ought to have been
in possession of the Washington Cabinet
today. The belief of the inner ministeri-
alist circle is that Lord Salisbury will
agree to place an embargo on Canadian
sealing in the open sea provided the Uni
ted States government agrees to pay COM
pensation if the arbitration decision be
against the American claims. What
ever may be the issue, the
Idea of Armed Collision
is dismissed on all sides here as supreme
ly improbable, except by the London
Times" which calls attention to the
danger of trouble if rival fleets Emeet in
Behring sea.
Within the House of Commons interest
in the matter centres solely in the ques-
ton of how much party advantage may
be derived from the controversy. Out
side of Parliament, popular interest in
the question is very slight. Replies to
inquiries made at the Admiralty do not
support the rumor that orders have been
sent to Admiral Hotham altering the
movements of the Pacific squadron. The
officials know nothing of a change of
programme since it was fixed January
81 and confirmed March 2. From the
dates of the orders, it is evident the
movements of the vessels cannot be as
sociated with an acute stage of tie Behr-
ing sea difficulty. Sir Charles Upper
has throughout been the advisor of the
government. Among his suggestions is
that to Lord Knutsford, the colonial Sec
retary, to consider the permanent ap-
pointment of a Canadian attachee to the
staff of the British legation in Washing
to act as special advisor on Canadian af-
foi