The record-union., 1892-03-28
Rngni Bnki,tn 4gpernr.-.
AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION
Americas Right to Jurisdiction in
Behring Sea.

| Americas Right to Jurisdiction in
BehrinG Sea.
A correspondent of the San Francisco
Bulletin sends that paper the following
very interesting and important COM
munication:
In your leading editorial of this
evenings issue you make the assertion
that the United States once disputed
Russia's claim of the marine territory of
Behrlng Sea. Can you support this as
sertIon by any authoritative document Z?
AS understand it, Russa's claim to full,
complete and entire jurisdiction in Behr-
ing Sea was never questioned or dis
puted by either England or the United
States. When the Car arbitrarily made
an extension Of his rights 100 Italian miles
south OF the Aleutian Islands and alto
gether outside OF Behring Sea ana into
the Pacific Ocean, or at any rate mem
uoned the new parallel extending 1900
mis- across the Pacific, Mr.. Adams, then
secretary OF State, objected to this new
pretension.' Nothing whatever was
said about Behring sea. Great Britain
joined us IN this protest. but Behring Sea
was not even mentioned. This is the fact
of the matter, and | think investigation
will bear me out. The United States Gov
eminent never disputed Russia's claim to
Behrng Sea. Russian nayigatorS first
discovered the strait, the mainland in the
vicinity OF Mount St. Elias and else
where, beside st. Lawrence, st. Matthew.
Nunlyak, Copper and Behring, the
Pribylod and all the Aleutian Islands:
and she based her title OH essentially two
points, namely: Discovery and long and
undlsputed occupation and jurisdiction.
1T was British trickery and cunning
that started the idea that our own Govern
ment Itself had ever doubted or dis
puted Russia's sole ownership and iuris-
dIctlon respecting Behring Sea. The
statement Is not susceptible of anything
OF any weight III its support. Our papers
copied and enlarged on the suggestion,
rejecting severely on our own Govern
ment's present attitude as Inconsistent
With the stand it took in the past; and, as
Mr.. Phelps remarked in one OF the maya
zines, no more violent attacks on the
Governments policy were made by any
one IMAM by our own papers-and the
Enghsh Government carefully noted
everything said by American newspapers
In support OF Canadian depredations in
behrlng Sea. Whatever the English
Government does, right or wrong. is sup
ported heartily whenever it comes to a
difference between itself and some other
nation. The English people are patriotic
IN this respect. They are to be admired
Tor II. Win ourselves it is very different.
We furnish the enemy with ammunition
and weaken ourselves with dissension
and heSltancy. President Harrison
course should be upheld by every paper
IN this land Of the free. It is shame and
an outrage and q disgrace that England
should beaIloWed to play with us as #
we were puppets. Has not man RIGHT
TO decent answer TO a civil question !?
PRESIDENT Harrison insists on that right.
Lord salisbury prefers dilatory policy
ana TO force us To wait in order to give
the Canadians plenty Of time to fit ont
sealers and make q profitable catch. It
VIII scarcely do any longer for the British
Government TO treat us as she invariably
treats any petty government. She can't do
altogether as she pleases with us, and il
VIII hardly do any longer to treat us as
children. ANY eVasIve answer is no
answer; IL satisfies nothing. What we
want is Q manly yes or mo-
I'VE ought to have taken firm stand
at the outset. But we We're too timid: il
is well known that the Government in
structlons TO Captains of cutters at one
Tune were to discriminate against Ameri-
can sealers; hold them. but avoid friction
with the British Government bv making
no seizures OF British vessels unless com
PEELED to, and then release them on some
pretext. What shameful and pusillani-
nous thing that was! We have hoDored
England by asking her cooperation.
SiANNA VIC EAtfoCiIt circumstances, ana
considering how all our offers have been
met. 1t appears to US TO be very ridicu-
lous thing to arbitrate this matter with
England. WHAT we ought to do is to as
sert and maintain our rights without
asking anybody's permission. Our claim
Is sound, just and legal one. No nation
has any business to Interfere with our in
terests in our own territory; if they do. il
should be, as III the past, at their peril,
The editor of the Butteti3e publishes the
/ following note at the end of the conmu-
nication:
An examination of the authorities
| shows that in 1921 Alexander /. claimed
! jurisdiction over all the waters of the Pa
! citic north Of 81 degrees north. 1t was
| that pretention that } ohm Quincy Adams
| contested i'll 1924. The lire claimed bv
Alexander was shown by Mr.. Adams "a
be 1900 miles long. II was, - our CORE
| spondent states nearly 100 Italian miles
south OF the chain of the Aleutian Is
lands. There appears, so far as we have
examined, to have been no contest over
| Russia's rights in Behring Sea proper.n