Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-08-24
BERING SEA DECISION
UNITED STATES CLAIMS ARE
NOT ALLOWED.
No Right to the Protection of, or Property
In. the Seals Frequenting the Islands Of
the United States When Found Outside
the Ordinary Three-Nils Limit.
Victory for Britons.

1
Baron De Courcel, President OF the
Behring Sea arbitration tribunal, has
announced in Paris the decision OF the
arbitrators on the issues presented to
1t. Except for provision that the
seals shall be protected from intliscrim.
lnate slaughter, the decision is entirely
against the United States. Not D
| proposition put forth by the Ameri.
can counsel has been agreed to by
| the tribunal. Every issue made by the
| United States has been decided in favor
of Great Britain. The arbitrators
practically deny that Russia asserted
| or exercised exclusive rights in the
seal fisheries prior to the purchase OF
Alaska by the United States. That
any such claims were recognized and
conceded by Great Britain and that the
United States have any property rights
in the seal fisheries other than those
belonging to all other nations. Uncle
Sam is beaten at every point touching
Its sovereignty over the Behring sea-
and the crum of consolat on in the
matter OF protection of the seals il not
swcetcned by the accompanying decla-
ration that this power of protection
does not lie in the United States but in
the ruling Of tho tribunal.
American Claims Rejected.
In a general way the tribunal rejects
the claim Of the United States that the
Behring Sea is mare clausum and de-
MES to the United States exclusive
property rights in tho seal fisheries,
On the other hand, the arbitrators
sustain positively the contention Of
the United States that pelagic seal
ing should be stopped and that
the seal herds should be protected from
determination by poachers. To effect
this end the tribunal rules that there
shall be maintained closed season, be-
ginning May l and ending July q,
during which no seals may be killed
This prohibition applies not only to
Behring sea, but to the north Pa
cific ocean. To save the seals from
slaughter at their breeding places
in the Pribylov Islands a protective
zone extending sixty miles around the
islands is established, and sealing out
side this zone is to be permitted only
after Aug. 1. Further protection from
indiscriminate slaughter is provided in
the prohibition by the terms of the de-
cision of the use of firearms by seal
takers.
Uncle Sans Contentious.
The contentious OF the United States
as to its exclusive jurisdiction in Bchr-
ing Sea, acquired from Russia by the
purchase Of Alaska and its property
rights in the seal fisheries, are con-
tainel in tho following five points OF
article 6 of the treaty creating the
tribunal of arbitration:
l. What exclusive jurisdiction in the sea now
known rs Behring Sea and what exclusive
rights In the seal fisheries therein, did Russia
assert and exercise prior aud np TO the time Of
the cession of Alaska to the United States?
How far were these claims of Jurisdiction
as to the seal fisheries recognized and conceded
by Great Britain?
3. Was the body Of water now known as the
Behring sea included in the phrase Pacific
occnn,' as used in the treaty OF 1926 between
Great Britain and Russia: and what rights, II
any, in the Behring sea were held aud ex-
clusfvely exercised by Russia after said
treaty?
T. Did not all the rights Of Russia as to juris-
sea east OF the water boundary, in the treaty
between the United States and Russia of the
3lth OF March, 1867, pass unimpaired to the
United States under that treaty?
S. Has the United States any rights, and IL
80, what right. Of protection Of property in
the fur seals frequenting the islands of the
United States In Behring Sea when such seals
are found outside the ordinary three-mile
limits?
The decision rs rendered is practi-
cally knock out for the United States
and victory for England.