The morning call., 1893-03-26
SAVE THE SEALS.
The Two Sides to the Con-
trOversy.
CLAIMS MADE BY AMERICA.
Valuable Animals That Should Be
Killed Only Under the Direction of
the United States.
Special 10 THE MoRS1Ss CALL

NEW YORK, March 25.-The Herald's
Paris cable says: At their meeting on
Thursday the Bering Sea arbtratOrs decided
that the sittings should not be held behind
closed doors. This permits making public
the exact points Of the contention. Briefly
stated, the case of the United States is
that the Alaska fur seal is begotten, born
and reared only upon the Prbyloif Islands,
10 which they return each spring to spend
several months consoTting together; that
while at these Islands the seals are easily
controlled; that discrimination can be
and has been exercised; that while
absent from the islands during the
migration, which reaches as far sGts+tti as
the coast of California, they land on no
other shore and mingle with no other herd
Of fur seals; that because of these habits
the Alaskan herd and each Individual of it
Is the property OF the United States
The method employed by the oreu-sea
sealers Is attacked by the American Gov
ernment as destructive. wasteful and ex-
Terminating 1t is claimed that large
percentage Of the seals killed by the open
sea hunters are females. the majority of
which are about 10 become or are mothers.
Tbs destruction of the pregnant female
causes the death of the unborn young, as
the death of the mother seal killed while in
search of food in the waters of Bering Sea
also destroys the offspring left on the Prby-
lofT rookeries.
1t further claimed that many seals shot
In the open sea by hunters escape mortally
wounded or sink before The hunter reach es
them. Open sea sealing it is argued. will re-
suit in the destruction of the herd in the
near future.
On the Islands only limited number of
male seals are killed, and as the seal Is
pOlygamous, large number of males can
be killed without affecting the birth rate of
the herd.
On these facts the American Government
claims that from the nature of the industry
established on the PribYloff Islands the
United States has a right to protect and
preserve these seals wherever they may be
found. as he animals can only be killed on
United States territory without danger of
determination.
II is also claimed that owing to the long
period of CESSATION. pelsgic sealing cannot
st any time be otherwise than destructive,
dangerous and wasteiul and should be pro-
blbited.
The case of Great Britain, on the other
hand, is that Alaskan seals have not the
characteristics of animals that can be made
subject to property; that it is not certain
that they land only upon the Pribyloff
Islands or that they do not interningle
with the Russian seal heJd, or that they are
pelagic in nature. and therefore that they
should be treated as fish rather than as land
animals; that many of the propositions
essential to the position ken by the Uuited
States are improved or contrary to the
facts.
As to pelagic sealing it is claimed that the
destructveness and wastefulness has been
greatly exaggerated, aud that it is the legiti-
mate and proper method of taking seals
and that it can be prosecuted without dan
ger Of exterminatlng the herd.
Much Importance is also given by the
British Government to jurisdictional claims
over Bering Sea. but this appears to be
treated By the United States as a secondary
questio
Both nations concede that the seals
have decreased. the United States
charging such decrease to the de-
struction OF the producing sex by
open sea sealing. and Great Britain claim
ing that the present condition has been
caused by the excessive number of males
killed on the Islands and by the injurious
effect of the methods there employed.