The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-26
THE BERING SEA TROUBLE.

The exact attitude Of Great Britain and
the United States on the Boring Sea con-
trCveTsy is made plain by the papers which
were laid before the Senate on Wednesday
and were by that body given TO the public
on Thursday. The President insists that,
during the trial of the controversy by the
board Of arbitration TO which both nations
have agreed to submit, matters shall re-
main in The status Of last year. that is 20
say that both the citizens of the United
States and the subjects of Great Britain
shall be restrained by their respective Gov
ernments from pelagic sealing in Boring
Sea. Lord Salisbury contends, on the con-
trary. that pending the action of the arbi-
traitors pelagic sealing shall 60 on. because
serious injury would be caused to the seal
ing Industry by the suspension of sealing
for another season; but that Canadian
seaers should give bonds for damages in
case the award Of the arbitrat0Ts should be
against England's contention. The differ
ence between the two is thus narrowed
down to a small point. Whose views shall
prevail-those of the United States or those
Of Great BTitain-duTing the season of 1892
while tie case is being prepared for the con-
sderatiOn Of the arbitTators? Last year a
modus viyendi was agreed to which bound
both nations to prevent their respective
fishermen from sealing in Boring Sea. Mr..
Harrison thinks that modus vivendi should
he extended to the season of 1892. Lord
Salisbury thinks it should not.
THIS is a small matter for two great nations
TO be Quarreling about. But grave contro-
veTsies sometimes spring from very small
causes. There is truth in the Presidents
remark that If Lord Salsbury's refusal to
~
sisted in 1.-THE question becomes no longer
one of pecunisry loss or gain, but of honor
and self-respect" England says to the
United States: I'VE have made compact
with you by which the subject of pelagic
sealing in Boring Sea is to be submitted to
arbitration, but pending the arbitration we
propose to 90 on scaling in defiance of your
protest against it; if you are not satisfied
you can take bonds from the Canadian seal
ers if you can find them, and collect the
bonds if they should happen TO prove good"
And on the strength of a foreknowledge
that this would be the position of the British
Government. forty-seven Canadian sealers
have cleared for Bering Sea. as against
thirty-ore to same date last year. This is
really treating the United States with some
thing very like impertinenee.
II will be observed that the abstract rule
Of International law regarding sealing on
the high seas cuts no figure in the present
turn in the controversy. Lord Salisbury,
while quoting law, admitted to Mr.. Blaine
that. in view of the claim of the United
States that Bering was closed sea, it was
desirable that an understanding should be
come to which would settle the matter. He
allowed that there was sufficient merit in
the contention of the United States to war
rant its being submitted to arbitration. 1t
is strangely inconsistent in him now 10
ignore his previous admission and TO insist
upon placing matters on the footing which
they would occupy if the United States had
never objected TO pelagic sealing in that sea.
To understand his attitude it is perhaps
necessary TO read between the lines. The
Senate may have had a reason for depart
ing from its usual rule and for excluding
It's employees from the executive session in
which the correspondence was considered.
1t was probably known to the Foreign
Affairs Committee that Lord Salisbury was
acting under pressure which he found it
difficult to resist. Canada had forced his
hand, and offered him the alternative of
alternating the Dominion and especially the
province of British Columbia by shutting
Canadian sealers out Of Boring Sea. or of
hotdiuinB uOn tue SOOu nature OF the
United States one more year of the lucra-
tive pursuit which is enriching Victoria.
Tie British Premier may have unoffieiaIIy
appealed TO the Senate to get him out Of lis
scrape. having been unsuccessful in his
Establishment with the President. This
would account for the story from Washing
ton that Congress proposed to reply to Lord
Salisbury's letter, not by striking at Eng
s}and, but By repeating the customs reguia-
ton which permits freight to be carried in
bond over the Canadian Pacific from one
point in the United States TO another.
This. however. is all conjecture. Every
body hopes and expects that the trouble will
be adjusted without impairing our good rela-
tons with England. The adjustment might
perhaps have been easier if we did not hear
quite so much about the massing Of English
fleets at Esquimait.