The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-05

sia's rights in respect to the seal fish
cries in the ceded territory passed un-
impaired to the United States; that the
United States has such property and
interest in the seal herd as to justify the
employment of means necessary TO pre-
vent its destruction and to secure its
possession and benefit to the United
States, and that the acts of the United
States to protect its property and inter
est are justi6able, and that Great Brit
ain should recompense the United
States for losses; that should it be con-
sidered that the United States has not
property or interest in the seal herd
il should be the International duty of
Great Britain to concur with the United
States in the adoption and enforcement
of regulations against citizens of either
nation to prevent the capture of Alaskan
seals anywhere upon the high seas.
Great Britain's claims are That the sea
is an open sea, free to all nations, and no
general right can be forbidden by the
| declaration or claim of any one nation
that no nation impairs its right by any
period of non.use; that Russia made no
especial claim of exclusive jurisdiction
in Behring Sea until the year 1921; that
when it did make such a claim the
United States and Great Britain re-
sisted it, and that Russia withdrew
from her contention; that from that
time until the date of the American
purchase in 1867 Russia made no at
tempt to interfere with the fishing
operations of foreign vessels, and that
no such Interference was attempted by
the United States after they had acquired
Alaska until the industry of pelagic
sealing had grown to considerable pro-
portions, and that in view of these facts
the claim of the United States to extra
marine jurisdiction for the protection
OF the seal cannot be sustained.
In current discussions of this uues-
ton, in opposition to the British claim
it is maintained that the protests of the
United States and Great Britain in
1871 in no way related to the waters
north of the Aleutian peninsula and
the Aleutian chain of islands. Behring
Sea and the islands which are now the
scene of the seal industry were, at the
time of the Russian claim of exclusive
Jurisdiction, practically unknown re-
gions. The coast and islands were in-
habited by Indians, were rarely visited,
and only by Russian traders. English
and American traders did not 90 into
Behring Sea, but they did visit the
towns south of the Aleutian peninsula,
and when Russia issued her ukase for
bidding such visits England and Amer
lea protested. So it is commended on
the part of the United States that the
dispute of 1921 had nothing to do with
Behring Sea and the seal fishery: that
the treaty Russia made with Great
Britain and the United States not only
did not cover Behring Sea but espe-
claly omitted to do so; that Russia con-
tinued to assert exclusive jurisdiction
over Behring Sea, its waters, islands
and shores, and this assertion received
the tacit assent of Great Britain and
the United States; that Russia con.
tlnued in the possession and exercise
of her exclusive rights and claims down
to the time she sold her possessions to
the United States and that nation sue
ceeded to all those rights unimpaired.
1t is maintained that the seal fisher
les constitute special and peculiar
and industry which cannot be
classed with the food fisheries, anv
more than can the pearl fisheries of
England off the coast of Ceylon. Those
at other places, under circumstances
analogous to those surrounding the
United States seal fisheries in Behrinp
sea, England claims-and rigidly main
Jams her claims of exclusive RIGHT.
Food fisheries on the high seas are free.
as the air is free, as the navigation of
me high seas is free. The supply of
GOD fish cannot be exhausted, but the
supply of seals is limited. 1t can be
exhausted and the industry extin-
suished. The free and unrestricted
light to capture seals would extinguisb
he species. Taking them on the high
eas during their periodic migrations
o rear their young would speedily ex.
inguish seal life. The United States
las bought the Alaskan regions. The
cal fisheries were an important con-
liberation in making the purchase. The
light of the United States to the ex.
lusive enjoyment of the benefits of its
purchase ought to be as clear in the
ase of the seals as in the matter of the
lines within the territories of its ac-
uisition.
Note and Comment.
FREDERICK DOUGT.A SS ia nouot;ot;,..