The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-17
BEHRING SEA DECISION.
Declaration of the International
Board of Arbitration.
A COMPROMISE DECREE ADOPTED.

Pelagic Sealing 10 TO DO Permitted Out
side of y Protected Zone, but n Close
Season Is Provided for Which VIII
Governor All SenIers.
PARIS, Aug. 16-The decision of the
Behring sea tribunal has just been handed
down. The first five points of article are
decided against the United States.
close season is established, to begin
May l, and to continue until July 81 This
shall be observed in the Northern Pacific
ocean and Behring sea. A protected zone
Is established extending sixty miles around
the seal islands.
Pelagic sealing is allowed outside this
protected zone only after Aug. |. Tho
present indscrimnate and wholesale
slaughter of seals by the use of firearms is
prohibited
Notwithstanding the fact that the first
hve points of article = are decided against
the United States, the American arbitra-
tors express their satisfaction with the
text of the decision.
After the decision was read Baron de
Courcel president of the tribunal, thanked
the arbitrator for their intelligent atten-
ton during the hearings Lord 1Iannen
ana Senator Morgan replied, acknowledge
lux the courtesy and hospitality of Baron
dc Courcel.
The American arbitrators say the regu-
iations decided upon by the tribunal mean
practically the end of pelagic sealing
The terms, they say, are better than those
heretofore offered the United States by
Great Britain US Il settlement of the ques-
tiOns involved
After preamble stating the case sub
mitted for decision the full text of the
award runs as follows:
we decide and determine as to the five
points mentioned in article q as to which
our award is to embrace distinct decision
upon each of them.
AS to the first of said five points we,
Baron DE Courcel, John NJ. Harlan, Lord
Hannen, Sir John 5. ID. Thompson, Mar
quis Emilio Visconti- Venosta and Gregoro
w. W. Gram, being majority of said ar
bitrators, do decide rs follows
BY the ukase of 1921 Russia claimed
jurisdiction in the sea now known as ,eh-
Fing sea TO the extent of 100 Italian miles
from the coasts and islands belongings to
her, but in the course of the negotiations
which led TO the conclusion of the treaty
OF 1921 with the United States and the
treaty of 1875 with Great Britain Russia
admitted that her jurisdiction in said sea
should be restricted so as to reach a cannon
shot from shore 1t appears that from
mat time up TO the time of the cessiou of
Alaska To the United Stated Russia never
asserted in fact or exercised any exclusive
jurisdiction i'll Behring sea or any exclu.
slvc rights TO the seal fisheries therein,
beyond the ordinary limit OF territorial
waters.
AS 10 the second of the five points we.
Baron de Courcel, John NJ Harlan, Lord
lianncn, Sir John ;. ID. Thompson, Mar
quis Emilio Eisconti-Venosta and Greyero
W. w. Gram, being IL majority of said ar
Dltrators, decide and determine that Great
Britain did not recngnizc or conccdc auy
claim upon the part of Russia To exclusive
jurisdiction as To the seal fisheries in l5ehr-
ing sea outside the ordinary territorial
waters.
AS to the third point, as to SO much
thereof as requires us To decide whether
the body of water now known as Behrinu
sea was included in the phrase "paciic
OCEAN. and used in the treaty of 1873 be-
tween Great Britain and Russia we
unanimously decide to determine that the
body of water now known rs Behring sea
was included in the phrase 'pacilic ocean,
Us used i'll said treaty.
On the fourth point we decide and deter
mine that Ill the rights of Russia To juris-
diction and to the seal fisheries passed TO
the United States limited by the ccssion
On the fifth point we decide and deter
mine that the United States have noright
to the protection of or property in the seals
frequenting the islands of the United
States i'll Behring sea when found outside
the ordinary three mile limit. Ard,
whereas, the aforesaid determination oil
the foregoing questions as to the exclusive
jurisdiction oil the United States leaves
the subject i'll such Il position that the con-
eurrence or Great Britain is necessary TO
the establishment Is regulations for the
proper protection and preservation OF fur
seals habitually resorting to Behring sea,
we assent To the whole of the nine ARTICLES
of the following regulations us necessary
outside OF the jurisdiction limits of the
respective governments, and that they
should extend over the waters herein mem
toned.
The following regulations were adopted
by u majority of the arbitrators, Mr. Hair
Ian and Sir John Thompson dissenting:
Article l. The United States and Great
Britain shall forbid their citizens and sub
jects respectively to kill, capture or pur-
sue at any time or in any manner what
ever the animals commonly called lur
seals within Il zone OF sixty miles around
the Pribylotf islands, inclusive of the teyl
waters, the miles being geographical
miles, sixty to Il degree of latitude.
Article 2. The two governments shall
forbid their citizens or subjects to kill,
capture or pursue i'll any manner whatever
during season extending i'll each year
from May to July 81 inclusive fur seals
on the high sea in that part of the Pacific
ocean inclusive of Behring sea, situated
north OF the thirty-tifth degree of north
latitude or eastward of the one hundred
and eightieth degree of longitude from
Greenwich until it strikes the water boun-
dairy described i'll article of the treaty of
1861 between the United States and RUSSIA.
following that line up to Behring straits.
Article 8. During the period of time the
waters in which fur sealing is nflnund