Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-24
FIRM AND EMPHATIC
Presidents Rejoinder
to Lord Salisbury.
SPEEDY ANSWER DEMANDED
United States Will Use Its Utmost
Strength to Protect the Seals.

WAsHINCToN. March q. 49, President
Harrison sent 10 the senate yesterday a
copy OF his reply To Lord Salisbury's last
note. It's concluding paragraph Is very
warlike In tone, and contains In substance
an ultimatum to the British government
that unless Great Britain agrees To some
arrangement, pending arbitration, by
which the interests of the United States
I'M Behring sea could be protected, the
United States government would take
measures 20 protect them, even IL IL were
necessary TO call the military force into
requisition 10 do so.
The correspondence on the matter did
not comprise the full text of Lord Sails
bury's reply 20 the note OF the Sth inst,
but a synopsis OF il. containing the princi-
pal points, and the counter propositions
respecting modus yivendi, which his
lordship offered in fuli~ This text, il Is
understood. is coming by mail, and will
doubtless confirm Lord Salisbury's fond.
ness for controversialism. which 10 Is said
Is really responsible TO great degree for
the dilly-dallying with the subject which
he has shown. The response by the presi.
dent, which was considered and
Approved by tho Cabinet.
accompanied the synopsis Of Salisbury's
reply.
The letter puts forward several counter
propositions on the subject OF the modus
vivendi which. when read to the senate.
were heard with the same sense OF indig.
nation that moved the members Of the
cabinet Tuesday. President Harrison's
response, earnest aud forceful it Is said,
elected approval as its contents were made
known 20 the senate. Although efforts
were made 20 Induce the senators, and es-
pecially members OF the committee on for
eign relations, to remove the seal Of Sc
crecy from these communications, that
they might be given TO the people for their
information and consideration, the efforts
werc futile Tho senate determined To
keep the letters from the public. Copies
had been made at the state department
for the press with the expectation that the
senate would or'lcr them 10 be made
known, but they are still being sacrcdly
guarded
President lIarrison's response Is said TO
be firm and emphatic. IL reiterates tho
contentious made by this government In
correspondence, and accuses Lord Sails
bury of not dealing directly and frankly
with the questions involved. And at the
close IL Is said he plainly informs his lord
ship that II necessary MI the resources oil
the United States, naval and military, will
Dc called upon TO maintain the rights oi
the United States and in the Behring sen
and to protect the seals rcsorting thereto.
The concluding paragraph Is described by
one who has read 10 as
- Ringing snapper"
The communications were referred "a
tho committee on foreign relations, before
which the arb. traton treaty Is still pend
ing As TO the probable action upon that
document senator who has taken a
prominent part in the discussion over II
said that it would most likely be ratified,
although there is wide diversity Of
opinion in the senate as to the eSpediencc
or necessity Of ratifying the treaty under
present conditions.
Another senator confirmed this prcdic-
tion, and stated that with the ratification
would 90 resolution TO the president ex-
pressing The sense OF tho senate to be that
the United States possessed certain rights
in the Behring sea somo inalienable and
acquired, from Russia, and that whatever
action lac took in protecting those rights,
pending arbitration, would meet the ap-
proval Of the senate.