The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-16


ernment Has Jurisdiction in Behring
Sea, but tho Court Has Established
Regulations Which VIII Practically
Prevent Poaching = Uncle Sam May
Havesto Foot the Bills.
Paris, August 15.--At 9 o'clock this
morning the seven Behring Sea arbitra-
tors held private session in a room used
by the officials of the Department. of
foreign affairs at the Quai d'Orsai. At
II O'Clock the arbitrators reassem bled in
the room in the foreign Office in which
the public sessions of the tribunal had
been held. Baron de Courcel, the presi-
dent of the tribunal, then delivered to
the agents of the United States and Great
Britain original copies of it's decision
| signed by all the arbitrators.
| Afterward Baron de Courcel addressed
| the arbitrators, saying that he recognized
the great value of arbitration as cause
of peace between nations. He expressed
the opinion that every international arbi-
| tration renders war less probable, and
said he looked forward to the time hin
| the near future when it would be the rule
and not the exception to settle fnterna-
tional differences in this way
Senator John T. Morgan, one of the
American arbitrators, and Lord Hannen,
one Of the arbitrators appointed by
Great Britain, responded to Baron de
Courcel, declaring that they reciprocated
the sentiments expressed by him, and
recognized the hospitality extended by
France to the arbitrators.
The session terminated aimed mutual
congratulations and expressions of good
feeling.
By the decision, the five points of
article 6 are decided against the United
| States A close season is established, to
begin May 1, and to continue until July
| 81. This close season shall be observed
both in the North Pacific ocean and in
Behring Sea. A protected zone is estab-
| lished extending for sixty miles around
the islands. Pelagic sealing is allowed
| outside the zone in Behring Sea from
August 1. The use of firearms in sealing
| is prohibited.
| The American arbitrators have ex-
pressed their satisfaction with the text of
the decision. They believe that the re-
gulations decided upon by the tribunal
mean practically the end of pelagic seal
ing, and that they are better terms than
were heretofore offered to the United
States by Great Britain as settlement
OF, the questions involved
After preamble stating the case sub
mitted for decision, the full text of the
award runs as follows:
s'We decide and determine as to the
five points mentioned in article 6, as to
which our award is to embrace distinct
decision upon each of them:
s'As to the first of said five points, we,
Baron de Courcel, John M. Harlan, Lord
Hannen, Sir John S. d. Thompson,
Marquis Emilio Visconti- Venosta and
Gregero W. w. Gram, being a majority
of said arbitrators, do decide as fol-
lows:
"By the ukase of 1921 Russia claimed
jurisdiction to the extent of 100 Italian
miles from the coasts and islands be-
longing to her, but in the course of the
negotiations which led to the conclus-
ion of the treaty of 1927 with the United
States and the treaty of 1926 with Great
Britain, Russia admitted that her juris-
diction in said sea should be restricted
so as to reach cannon shot from shore.
1t appears that from that time up to the
time of the oession of Alaska to the
United States, Russia never asserted in
fact, or exercised any exclusive jurisdic-
ton in Behring Sea or any exclusive
rights to the seal fisheries therein, be-
yond the ordinary limit of territorial
waters.
.sAs to the second of the five points,
we decide and determine that Great Bri-
tain did not recognize or concede any
claim upon the part of Russia TO exclu-
sive jurisdiction as to the seal fisheries
in Behring sea outside Of the ordinary
territorial waters.
t'As to the third point, as to so much
thereof as requires us to decide whether
the body of water now known as Beh-
ring sea was included in the phrase Pa
cifc Ocean, as used in the treaty of
1925 between Great Britain and Russia,
we unanimously decide to determine
that the body of water now known as
Behring sea was included in the phrase
Pacific IOcean as used in said treaty.
''On the fourth point we decide and
determine that all the rights Of Russia
to jurisdiction and to the seal fisheries
passed to the United States limited by
the cession.
son the fifth point we decide and de-
termine that the United States have no
right to the protection of OF property in
the seals frequenting the islands of the
United States in Behring sea when found
outside the ordinary three-mile limit"
This last decision was made by Arbi-
traitors John T. Morgan, Baron de Cour-
Gel, Marquis Visconti Venosta and Judge
Continued on Second Page.