Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-04-06
THE MATTER AT ISSUE
Contentious of the United States and
England in the Bering Sea
Controversy.
The Claims Of This Government as They Are
Made to the Arbitrators.

PARIS, March 30--The Bering sea
arbitrators have decided that their
sitting will not be held behind
closed doors. This permits making
public the exact points OF the conten-
ton. Briefly stated the case of the
United States is that the Alaskan fur
seal is begotten, born and reared only
upon Pribylon islands, to which they
return each spring to spend several
months consorting together; that
while at these islands the seals are
easily controlled; that discrimination
can be and has been exercised; that
while absent from these islands during
migration, which reaches as far south
as the coast of California, they land
on no other shore and mlngle with no
other herd OF fur seals; that because
of these habits the Alaskan herd and
each individual of it is he property OF
The United States. The methods en-
ployed by the open sea sealers Is
is attacked by the American govern
ment as destructive, wasteful and ex-
terminating. 1t isclalmed that large
percentage OF the seals killed by the
open sea hunters are females, a ma jor-
Ity OF which are about to become or
are mothers. The destruction of these
prega ant females causes the death OF
their unborn young. The death OF a
mother seal, killed while in the search
of food in the waters of BerIng sea,
destroys the offspring on the Pribylon
rookeries. 1t is further claimed that
many seals shot in the open sea by
the hunters, escape mortally wounded
or sink before the hunter reaches them.
Open sea sealing, it is argued, will re-
suit in the destruction of the herd in
he near future. On the island only a
limited number OF seals are killed. As
the seal is polygamous, a large num-
Der OF males can be killed without
affecting the birth rate OF the herd.
On these facts the American govern
ment claims that from the nature oi
the industry established on Pribylon
leland the United ; ates has the right
to protect and preserve these seals
wherever they may be found, as the
ANIMALS can only be killed on United
states territory without danger of ex.
termination. 1t is also claimed that
owing to the long period of CESSATION
/
otherwise than destructive, dangerous
and wasteful, and should be prohib
tied.
The case OF Great Britain, on the
other hand, is that the Alaskan seals
have not the characteristics OF ami
mails that can be emade subject to prop
erty, that it is not certain they land
only on Pribylon island. or that they
do not intermingle with the Russian
sea herd; or that they are petagic il
! nature; and therefore they should bj
treated AS fish rather than land ami
mails. 1t is claimed that many of the
| propositions essential 70 the position
taken by the United States are un
proven or contrary to the facts. A:
to petagic sealing it is claimed that
| the destructiveness and wastefulnesS
have been greatly exaggerated; and
! that it is the legitimate and proper
method of taking seals, and can b,
prosecuted without danger ofeXtermi
mating the herd. Much Importance j:
also given by the British government
to the jurisdiction it claims ovel
Bering sea, but this appears to b,
treated by the United States as q
secondary consideration.
| Both nations concede that the seal:
have decreased; the United State:
charging such decrease to the destruc
ton of the producing sex by open SET
sealing, and Great Britain claiming h,
present condition has been caused by
the excessive number of males killed
on the islands and the injurious effec
of the methods there employed.