The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1893-03-27
THERE IS NO SECRECY
The Exact Points Of Contention in the
BGhring Sea Dispute.
CLAIMS OF CoNTENDING PARTIES
Both Freely Admitted a Destruction of
Seals, but Attribute it to Far
Different Causes.
inns OF coNTENDING PARTIES

New YORK, March 25.-At the meet
ing Thursday of the Behring sea arbitra-
tors, it was decided the sittings would
not be held behind closed doors. This
permits the making public of the exact
points of the contention. Briefly stated,
the case of the United States is that AL
askan fur seal is begotten, born and
reared only upon Pribylof islands, to
which the seal return each spring to
spend several months consorting to-
gether; that while at these islands the
seals are easily controlled; that discri-
mination can be and has been exercised
that while absent from these islands dur
ing migration, which reaches as far south
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 indi-
vidual of it is the property of the United
States, The method employed by open
sea sealers is attacked by the American
government as destructive, wasteful and
exterminating. It is claimed q large
percentage of the seals killed by open
sea hunters are females, majority of
which are about to become or are moth
ers. The destruction of the pregnant
female causes the death of the unborn
| young. The death of the mother seal,
killed while in search of food in the
waters of the Behring sea, destroys the
offspring on the Pribyloff islands.
1t is further claimed that many seals
shot in open sea by hunters escape NOR
tally wounded or sink before the hunter
reaches them. Open sea sealing, it IS
argued, will result in the destruction of
the herd in the near future. On the is
lands only limited number of the male
seals are killed. As the seal is polyga-
nous, a large number of males can be
killed without affecting the birthrate of
the herd: On these facts the American
government claims, from the nature of
the industry established on the Priby-
loft islands, that the United States 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. It is also claimed, owing
to the long period of CESSATION. that pei
agic sealing cannot at any time be other
wise than destructive, dangerous and
wasteful, and should be prohibited.
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 they land only upon the Priby-
loft islands. or that they do not inter
mingle with the Russian seal herd OF
that they are pelagic in. nature, and
therefore should be treated as fish rather
than land animals; hthat many of the
propositions essential to the position
taken by the United States are unprover
or contrary to facts. As to pelagic seal.
ing, it is claimed the destructiveness
and wastefulness has been greatly ex-
aggerated; that it is legitimate an6
proper method of taking seals, and car
be taken without danger of exterminat
ing the herd. Much Importance is alst
given by the British government to th'
jurisdiction it claims over. Behring sea
but this appears to be treated by th'
United States as a secondary question
Both nations concede the seals have de
creased, the United States charging sucl