The record-union., 1893-03-27
Special to the REcoRp.UNIox.

Speclal 10 the RECORD-UNTOS.
New YORK, March 26.-The HeraZds
Paris cable says: At their meeting on
Thursday the Behring Sea arbitrators de-
cided that the sittings should not be held
behind closed doors. This permits max
ing public the exact points of the conten-
ton. Briefly stated, the case of the
United States is that the Alaska fur seal
is begotten, born and reared only upon
the Pribylof Islands, to which they re-
turn each spring to spend several months
consorting 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 south as the coast of Cali
fornia, 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 prop,
erty of the United States.
The method employed by the open-sea
sealers is attacked by the American Gov
ernment as destructive, wastefuI 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 to become or are moth
5rs.
The 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 Behring
Sea also destoys the offspring left on the
Pribylotf rookeries.
| 1t further claimed that many seals shot
in the 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 islands only limited number
of male seals are killed, and as the seal is
polygamous, a large number Of males can
| be killed without affecting the birth rate
of the herd.
On these facts the American Govern
ment claims that from the nature of the
! industry established on the Pribyloff
Islands the United States has 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 determination.
| 1t is also claimed that owing to the
long period of CESSATION, pelagic sealing
cannot at any time be otherwise than de-
structive, 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 that they land only on the Pribv-
ISl1 t1,,4 81 ,
mingle with the Russian seal herd. or
that they are pelagic in nature, and there
| fore they should be treated as fish rather
than as land animals; that many OF the
| propositions essential to the position
taken by the United States are improved
or contrary to the facts.
AS to pelagic sealing, it is claimed that
| the destructiveness and wastefulness has
been greatly exaggerated, and that it is
the legitimate and proper method of talk
ing seals and that it can be prosecuted
without danger of exterminating the
| herd.
Much importance is also given by the
British Government to jurisdictional
claims oyer Behring Sea, but this appears
to be treated by the United states as a
secondary question.
Both nations concede that the seals
have decreased, the United States charg-
ing such decrease to the destruction ofthe
producing sex by open sea sealing, and
Great Britain claiming that the present
condition has been caused by the excess
i've number of males killed on the islands
and by the injurious effect OF the methods
there employed.