The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-27
NOW IT'S PLAIN AS A B {
Succinct Statement of the Behring Sea
Dispute with Great Britain.
Report from Paris that the Arbitrators' Tri.
bunal Will Be Held with Open Doors
Hencsforlh, with No C0ncealments.

NEW YORK. March 26.-The Herald's Paris
cable says: AT the meeting on Thursday of
the Behrng sea arbitrators il was decided
that the sitting of the tribunal should not
be held behind closed doors. This permits
making public the exact points of the con-
tenJion between the United States and
Great Britain. Briefly stated. the case
Of the United States is that the Alas.
kan fur seal is begotten. born and reared
only upon the Prlbylov or Sea islands in
the Behring sea, TO which islands they re-
turn each spring to spend several months.
consorting together In accordance with
their gregarlous nature; that while at these
islands the seals are easily controlled; that
discrimination can be and has been
exercised; that while from the islands
during migration, which reaches as far
south as the coast of California. 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 individ-
ual of IL is the sole property of the United
States. The methods employed by the
open sea sealers 10 attacked by the Ameri-
can government as destructive. wasteful
ano exterminating. lr is claimed that q
large percentage OF the seals Killed by
open sea hunters are females. the majority
OF which are about TO become or are moth
male causes the death of the IN born oung.
The death of the mother seal, killed
while in search OF food IN the waters
of the be Bshrns ,ns fss destroys ns
1tis further claimed that many of the seals
shot In the open sea by hunters, escape
mortaIly wounded or sink before the hun
ter reaches them. Open sea sealing. it ia
III hn 6at- Ton nf h<>
herd I'm the near future. On the islands
only limited number OF the male seals are
killed. As the seal is polygamous, large
number of male seals can be killed without
these facts the American governments claims
that from the nature of the industry
established on the Pribylov islands
the United States has the right to
protect and preserve these seals wher-
ever they may be found. as the animals can
only be killed on UnIte0 States territory
without danger of exterminatlon. 1t is
also claimed that owing to the long period
of CESSATION, pelagic sealing cannot at any
time be otherwise than destructive, dan
gerous aud wasteful, and should, therefore.
be prohibited.
TIE case of Great Britain. on the other
hand, is that the Alaskan seals have not
the characteristics of animals that can be
made subject to property; that it Is not
certain they land only on the Pribylov
islands, or that they do not intermingle
with the Russian seals. or that they are
pelagic in nature and, therefore, should be
treated as fish rather than as animals;
that many of the propositions essential to
the position taken by the United States ore
unproven or contrary to the facts.
As to the pelagio sealing 1t Is CLAIMED that
the destructiveness and wastefulness have
been greatly exaggerated, that it is legit-
innate and proper method of taking seals,
and that it can be prosecuted without dan
ger of extermlnating the herd. Much i'm.
portsnce is also given by tue British gov
ernment to jurisdlctional claims over Beh-
ring sea. but this appears to be treated by
the United States as q secondary question.
Both nations cOncede that the
seals have decreased-the United States
charging such decrease to the destruction
of the producing sex by open sea sealing,
Great Britain claiming that the present con-
dition has been caused by the excessive
number of males killed on the island, and
the injurious effect of the methods there
employed.