Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-27
THE BER1NG SEA CONTROVERSY.

In any matter relating to international
affairs the American people can be re-
lied upon for practical unanimity If
the most ordinary tact is shown by the
administration. 1t is observed in Wash
! ington that there's no party line in the
senate on the Bering sea question.
There is general feeling that the posi-
one, and that Lord Salisbury ought to
! have consented to a renewal of the mo-
dus vivendi pending the issue OF arbi-
tration. On this point the position OF
President Harrison is an impregnable
one, and the Democratic senators show
an equal disposition with those of his
own party to sustain him.
There is nothing of jingoism in this
attitude. We have yet to encounter an
Incorporate expression in any infuen-
tial quarter OF the United States. There
is unquestionably very general feeling
in this country which holds that the
United States ought never to have SO
far waived the rights in the Bering sea
which they are supposed to have
acquired from Russia as to submit them
to arbitration. This sentiment is
championed on the floor of the senate
by one of the California senators, the
Hon. Charles N. FELTON,. Our rights in
the Bering sea have been go long
unquestioned as to have grown into
prescription. Russia would undoubt-
edly never have sold us Alaska for pal
try 81 900, 900 if she had not supposed
that we would maintain our sovereignty
| in Alaskan waters as absolutely as she
| herself maintained it. No amount of
English money would have induced her
to surrender these possessions to British
control. Outside of our own claims,
we are under a sort of moral obligation
not to disappoint the just expectations
of Russia.
There has been good deal OF heated
talk in connection with this controversy,
but truth compels the statement that it
has appeared principally in the English
and Canadian papers. The latest ad-
vices from London indicate that the
Liberal party of England by no means
sustains Salisbury in his insolent and
domineering attitude. Even the Con-
servative press is beginning to tone
down its utterances very materially.
The firm position taken up by the
United States, which is without
tincture of bluster, is having very
sensible effect. There has been no
threat OF war in this country from any
responsible source, but there is a de-
clared purpose to maintain our rights at
all hazards.
Could England afford to 60 to war to
back up the acts of few clustering
Canadians intent on monetary profit,
even though the seal industry should be
annihilated forever? We scarcely think
30. In the first place, she would be in
the wrong, and she could hardly ven-
ture to seek the arbitrament of the
sword in bad cause against powerful
nation whose resources are at least as
great as her own. Her imposing fleets
might give her an advantage at the
start, and some of our seaports
would undo ubtedly suffer, but she would
precipitate such a contest at the ulti-
mate sacrifice of all her possessions in
North America, and her commerce
would be swept from the seas. The
United States have never released their
right to employ privateers, and these
vessels would soon swarm on every sea.
| 1t is question as to whether the cum
brous iron-clads of the English navy are
good fol long voyages across a stormy
ocean. The American inventive genius,
dash and pluck would soon be heard
from in many effective shapes, and the
! end OF long and desperate struggle
would doubles be similar to that of
the two which have already taken place
between the United States and England
But admitting that England is very
puissant nation, could any reasonable
justification be found for her plunging
into great war on so trivial a pretext :?
Such war would look like disruption
of civilization. Interests of enormous
magnitude would suffer downright dis
location. The American masses would
by no means be averse to such a struggle
There is a feeling that little blood let
ting is sometimes very wholesome op-
Grafton. War is a sort of phlebotomy
on large scale which reduces the in
ternational pulse to the normal beat and
eases the parties to it of high fever. 1t
is possible that the Tories of England,
also, would not object to war. They
are really using the Bering sea episode
for political effect. When the London
Tory press accused the United States of
posturizing to affect the Irish vote it was
really a cry of stop thief. These same
Tories were aiming at disintegrating the
forces of Gladstone by firing the British
heart.
The probability is extreme that the
sensible people of both countries will
put an end to the silly vaporing which
might, in a moment, embroil two ma
tions speaking a common language and
whose commercial and business rela-
tions are almost inextricably involved.
1t is in the power of hot-headed sailor