Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-16
w n AT IT M EAN S
It Cannot Bs Called . Victory for De by A.y
Assns-Possibie Complications
An Open Sea.

Secretary OF State that the American arbi.
traitors were satisfied with the decision %
the Paris tribunal does not seem to bs
clearly understood by many OF the offician
OF the government A very high official
who stands particularly near the President
commented freely on the decision TO q
Star reporter today, with the distinct un-
derstanding that his name should not 10
used He said,
The exact purport of the decision doso
not seem to be clearly understood by the
American people. judging from what has
been published In the papers on the subject
The sixth article OF the treaty embraced
the rights assumed by the Un.tei States
and submitted to the tribunal for deterrnt.
nation.
The material claims were. first that the
jurisdiction OF the United States over the
waters Of the Bering sea, east Of the bound
ary line, between the United States and
Russia. was exclusive and as complete az
II the sea were land. and second. that II
mat were not so the fur seals which re-
Sorted to the islands In Berfng sea (ac-
knowiedged TO be the property OF the
United states) belonged exclusively to the
United states and remained the property
OF the United States everywhere in Bering
sea- and that the United States had the
exclusive right TO protect such seals an
Bering sea regardless Of whether Il was a
iree open sea or the property OF the United
States.
The fifth question OF article 6 is the ma
terial one II reads: Has the United
States any right. and IL SO, what rights. of
protection or property in the fur seals fire.
quenting the islands of the United States
In Bering sea, when such seals are found
outside the ordinary three-mile limitr In
deciding this point the tribunal heId
That the United States had no right 70 the
protection OF or property In the seals fire.
quenting the islands of the United States
In the Bering sea, when the same are
found outside the ordinary three-mile limit
III the decision on this point had been in
favor OF the United States instead Of
against them, regulations about which so
much is said would have been unnecessary.
IL was only because the tribunal held that
the Bering sea was an open free sea- and
that the United States had no right TO pro-
tect the seals or property In them beyond
the three-mile limit that any regulations
on the subject were necessary.
International Regulations.
Article seven of the trea.y provides that
IL the determination Of the questions em-
braced In article six, as TO the exclusive
jurisdiction Of the United States shall be
ADVERSE to that government that then
tne tribunal shall prescribe regulations for
the protection Of the seals. The res;rla-
tons. in that event, are clearly for the
pFoteea9n s g1n ef the seals not as The prover,ty
an open free sea- the properly VI no na-
In this matter and therefore The Star
should state the precise question submitted
70 the tribunal for settlep,ent and the de-
c.sion. The regulations provide for tn
protection OF these seals for the benefit az
Great Britain and other nations, equally
with the United States. and the people OF
tnis country can rejoice in common with
the people OF all other countries that regu-
lations have been agreed upon which, IL Is
hoped, may result in the protection OF these
The sfxty-MfIe Limit.
There IS still another point that needs to
be cleared UP. Article ! OF the regulations
reads: The United States and Great Brit
ain shall forbid their citizens and subjects
respectively. 20 kill, capture pursue at
ans u,ne OF IN any manner Whatever the
zone Of sixty miles around the Pribylor
Islands; inclusive OF the territorial waters.
to a degree of latitude"
Under this regulation seals cannot Be
Killed captured or pursued within the pre-
miles beyond the ordinary three-rnile limit
but sixty miles inclusive of that limit; IN
other words. sixty miles from the shore
within that zone no seal can be taken IN
the water by the citizens OF the United
States any more than by the citizens or
SUBJECTS OF Great Britain. A serious Ques-
tton arises now
THE decision OF the tribunal binds the
United States and Great Britain but IL does
not bind other powers The ruling is that
Berfng sea is an open free sea. and that
seals within fits waters are not the property
OF the United States. What then Is 20 pre-
vent the subjects OF other nations from en-
tering that sea and taking seal therefrom,
while the United States and Great Britain
stand by with their hands tied, so to speak,
''Can the United States now make war
,r,ax1 har N ION hsa1o So n
from the Bering sea. which II has been de-
cided do not belong to the United Statese
II must be borne in mind all the time that
the tribunal which was selected oy the
United States and Great Britain has de-
clared that the Berins sea fs free open sea
and that the United States has no right OF
property in the seals in that sea beyond the
ordinary three mile limit. and also that Il
has no right to protect the seals in those
TT can be truly said that we can better
afford to have the entire seal herd de-
stroyed than that war, with all fits horrors.
Great Britain. That's what we have gained
In this matter. The decision Of the tribunal
may be extremely gratifying 70 the people
do not consider IL fair TO say tina: the
contentious of the United States before the
Paris tribunal were sustained"
No Naval Changes.
1t Is learned at the Navy Department
that the decision OF the arbitrators WIN
not affect the movements of our naval feet
In Bering sea during the present season,
for the reason that the decision can hardly
take effect until after the close Of the
present season. The vessels now there
nve In number. will continue to patrol those
waters usual for the enforcement of the
modus vfvendi until about the middle OF
September. when all but one will return
to the United States.
The one TO remain will not leave the
islands until about the first OF December.
II Is explained that the regulations pre-
scribed by the Paris tribunal will not go
into operation until they have been Official
ly promulgated by the President Of the
United States through a proclamation, and
by the British government. by an order IN
council