Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-17
T HAT DECISION
Secretary Gresham Said to Be Dis
satisfied With It,
REGULATIONS PROBABLY INEFFECTIVE,
Secretary Herbert on the Continu-
ance of Naval Patrol.
SOME GENERAL GOSSIP.

SOME GENERAL GOSSIP.
There is considerable speculation as to
when the regulations prescribed by the Ber-
Ing sea tribunal for the protection Of the
sealing industry will 60 into effect Those
pest competent to Judge are Of opinion that
The Star was right in saying yesterday that
the regulations can hardly be put into prac-
teal operation before the 1st Of January
next The decision has been made, it is
true, but 1t has not yet been received by the
PRESIDENT in official form, and until it is so
received 1T certainly cannot be officially
promulgated as the law Of the land. The
copy Of the decision placed in the hands of
the American arbitrators will be brought to
Washington by them and turned over to
the President for use in the preparation of
his proclamation promulgating the result
OF the arbitration and enjoining upon all
citizens Of the United States a faithful OBJ
servance of the provisions of the judgment.
Further negotiations are necessary between
Great Britain and the United States for
the determination of the time when the new
International agreement shall take effect
These necessary formalities can hardly be
fully consummated within three or four
months at the earliest.
Government Officials Cautious.
Secretary Gresham wishes 1t distinctly
understood that he has studiously avoided
making any comment on the recent de-
cision of the Bering sea arbitration tri-
bunal, and that any publications on that
subject attributed to him are unauthorized
and fictitious.
are naturally supposed to be informed on
tne subject, are very cautious about eX-
pressing opinions In regard to the decision.
They desire to learn more about the Ian
guage of the decision Of the arbitrators be-
fore uttering opinions. The treasury off,
the effect of the decision upon the iessees
Of the Pribyloff Islands. but 1t Is assumed
that. II the a-bitratOrs have decided that
the killing Of seals must stop. the govern
ment has as much right to prohibit It abso-
lutely as 1t has to say that the catch shall
be limited to 1900 skins. as 1t was last year.
sufficient only to provide the islanders with
such meat for sustenance.
Probabilities as to Damages.
The assumption is that the United States
will have to pay damages for seized sealers,
and. perhaps, to the amount Of N5OO.OOO.
But this disadvantage may be set off by
the account Of seizures and of sales from
seizures, amounting to about the same sum.
The amounts from seizure sales have been
covered into the treasury. and all that will
be necessary to do viii be to order 1t paid
to the owners Of the skins taken. AS the
United States are assumed to have no prop
erty rights in the seals caught, 1t ought to
be accepted as perfectly right that those
skins.
According to one official 'as we took the
skins We shall have to return them or their
value In money!
The Naval Patrol.
Secretary Herbert confirmed the state
ment in yesterdays Star that the decision
will have no effect as regards the naval
patrol In Bering sea during the present sea-
son. The patrol fleet would be necessary
in Bering sea waters, he said. as hereto
fore. as by the decision protected zone
extending for sixty miles around the
islands. To properly Gordon the islands
and keep sealers from reaching within our
limit. Secretary Herbert thinks, would ne
cessitate just as many naval ships and
revenue cutters there each year as we had
during the operations of the modus vivendi
Bering sea fleet which will have to be sent
there each year as long as We exercise
protection over the territory.
Effect of the Restrictions.
The restrictions placed on sealers with
reference to firearms. nets, explosives and
steam vessels will have the effect, 1t Is
believed, of causing Canadian sealers to re-
sort to desperate methods to secure good
catches, and much poaching is feared. In
the close season. during the months Of
May. June and July both Great Britain and
the United States will be obliged to MAIN
tain a fleet of naval vessels to keep poach-
ers from the sealing waters. and 1t is be-
lieved at the Navy Department that this
will result in the establishment of a per-
manent Bering sea squadron for duty dor
ing the three months named. The United
States will also be obliged to maintain a
zone around the Pribylof Islands from the
1st of April to the 1st of September.
The question Of the patrol fleet, however,
in the meanwhile no orders will be issued
interfering with the Instructions which are
now in force regarding the duty of the fleet
under Commander Ludlow in Bering sea-
Secretary Herbert says that he contem-
plates no orders Of any kind to the fleet
and that all the the vessels % viii .Sn undoubtedly
when they would, in the ordinary course Of
events. return to San Francisco. Our fleet
enue cutters, one fish commission steamer
and three naval ships.
Regulations Practically Intellectual.
The opinion Of Capt. Shepard chief OF the
revenue marine division Of the Treasury De-
partment, printed in yesterdays Star, to the
effect that the regulations prescribed by the
Paris tribunal for the protection of the
seals are practically Ineffective is corrobor-
ated by Capt. c: Nixon. owner of several
sealing vessels He says:
My idea Is that the decision will stop
sealing in year or two. 1t will practically
be the determination of the seals. as it
gives an open season in August which Is in
the height of the breeding season. OF
course all sealers will take ADVANTAGE of it.
but am very sorry for it, as it will put the
price of skins down next year. Why. 1t
would take the combined navy of the orld
to protect the North Pacific sea- 1t will end
international trouble, as the government
cannot watch more than nine miles from
shore. This new law will have a tendency
to raise the price Of skins this year on ac-
count Of the unsettled condition, but hext
year the price will be reduced
Secretary Gresham Dissatisfied.
Although he will not admit it, 1t is known
as fact that Secretary Gresham is dis
satisfied with the result Of the arbitration
on the general ground that the United
States has lost more than 1t has gained, He
admits, SO it is said, that the sealing indus
try will hereafter receive more protection.
SO far az the United States and Great
Britain are concerned, but he has grave
doubts as to whether Russia and other ra :
tiOns in interest will feel bound to observe
an agreement that is confessedly binding
only upon the United States and Great
Britain. Those two nations have agreed TO
a closed season for sealing, so far as their
own citizens and subjects are concerned
but they have also agreed to the principle
that the Bering Sea Is open free sea and
therefore subject to the Jurisdiction Of no
nation. Consequently If neither of the two
any Jurisdiction over the waters in question,
how Is it possible for them to say what
other nations shall or shall not do in them.
Their decision binds them and no one else
They agree that the citizens and subjects
shall not catch seals within a zone of sixty
miles around the Pribiloff Islands within a
specified time but in so doing they admit