The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1893-08-26
THE seARlhe SEA DECISION.
a eompromise Announced Which Will
Protect the Seals but Denies
some OF Our Claims to
Jurisdiction.


The decision OF the Behring Sea tribunal
IF arbitration was handed down at il;o'
o'clock Tuesday morning.
The five points OF article o are decided
against the United States. close season Is
established TO begin May l and to continue
until July u The close season shall be OBJ
.eryed both in the North Pacific ocean ana IN
Behrlng Sea. A protected zone is established
extending for sixty miles around the islands
PelagIc sealing Is allowed outside the zone In
BehrIng Sea from August l. Tine use OF fire.
arms in sealing is prohibited.
The decision was practically unanimous,
though Messrs. Harlan and Morgan Voteu
against the decision dlsallowing American
control OF BehrIng Sea.
Baron de Courcel addressed the arbitrators,
iaying that he recognized the great value Oh
arbitration as q cause of peace between
nations He expressed the opinion that
very international arbitration rendered war
ess probable, and said he looked forward 10
.he time In the near future when it would be
he rule and not the exception to settle inter-
national differences In this way.
Senator John l.. Morgan, one OF the Ameri-
IAN Arbitrator, and Lord Hammer, one OF the
.rbl,rators appointed by Grea, Britain, re-
)led to Baron de Courcel saying that they
,eciprocated the sentiments expressed by
aim, and they recognized the hospitality ex-
ended by France TO the arbitrator.
! The session terminated amid mutual con-
,ratulatlons aud expressions of good feeling.
John w Foster, American agent 10 the
Behrng arbitration, says that under the de-
.!sion of the tribunal no pclagic sealing can
kf.,r nd fTlN
After that time such sealing mag be prose
.uted in Behring Sea with spears at distance
If sixty miles from the Islands. This decision
limits pelagic sealing to narrow bounds.
Mr.. Foster said that he thought the rcstric-
ions might render the pelagic sealing un-
profitable The provisions for close season
/ sill prevent pelagic sealing during three oil
he four months when II can be said TO be
sery profitable. 1t leaves the right to hunt
,eals In the North Pacific from January to
May. The weather during three-fourths oil
hat period Is very unfnyorable and the
catches then made are always small. IL also
| caves the right to hunt seals In parts OF
3ehrlng Sea after July which means for q
period of about twenty-five days after the e1'
| )lration of which rough weather compels the
luntcrs TO leave. During these twenty-five
lays the hunters can neither come within
h1ty miles of the PribyloG Islands, nor use
my weapon except spears. Though the In
ilans are permitted to hunt seals along the
.oast from canoes, the catch made by them Is
always very small.
Mr.. Foster added. "True, the United
states have not obtained all they contended
,lncc they demanded the total prohibition oil
,elaglc scaling, but the regulations no"
made are much better than those Mr.. Blaine
fainly offered to Lord Salisbury In 1870 as
settlement. Mr.. Blaine then proposed as the
.ole restriction Of pelagic sealing to prohibi'
within sixty miles of Pribylof Islands
The present settlement Is also more adyan
ageous than the one proposed by Mr. Bayart
1883, "a he asked no protection for the
eals during May and June, 1t has since beer
lound that the operations of the pelagl'
hunters were most destructive to pregnant
seals during these two months"