The morning call., 1894-02-15
1T SUITS NOBODY.
Terms of the Bering Sea
Agreement.
CANADA WANTS A CHANGE.
While Gresham Objects to the
Details.
SEALRRS GET READY FOR SEA.
They VIII Go Hunting for Skins
Whatever the Rival Nations
Agree To.
CANADA WANTS A CHANGE.
sEALeRs GET READY FOR SEA.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE sober sec
ond thought of both parties to the Bering
Sea arbitration discloses the fact that the
agreement reached by the arbitraters is
not entirely satisfactory to either the
United States or Great Britain. 1t ap-
pears, however. that the dissatisfaction is
based rather upon matters in detail than
upon any objection to the broad principles
upon which the arbitration was based, and
for months past there has been much cor
respondence and many interviews between
Secretary Gresham, Sir Julian Pauncefote
and Minister Bayard with view to an
adjustment of these details.
One of the flaws Gresham is said to have
found is the failure to provide penalties
for an infraction of the provisions of the
laws laid down by the arbitrators and it
would be of little avail to capture
pelagic sealing vessels only to have them
turned loose again upon the seal herds
as soon as their cases wore brought be-
fore the courts. The Secretary is trying
to have this defect cured. The United
States is able to punish sealers brought
before its courts, but the Canadian law is
defective ard thus an International agree
ment is desired.
Further. the Canadians have discovered
that a rigid enforcement OF the articles of
agreement would destroy their seal hing
industry. Sir Julian Pauncefote is now
laboring 10 mitigate the misfortune of the
Canadians by securing a considera bic re-
striction of the limits Of the closed zone
around the seal islands within which seals
may not be ia ken by vessels and by short
eDing the closed season.
The British Government is also making
an effort to secure recall of the modus
vivendi under which operations in seal
waters were govern ed last year. This sug-
gestion touches the rights of the North
American Commercial Company. Under
the modus the company was permitted TO
take only 1900 sealskins last year. and was
thereby deprived of large income that
might have been realized under the terms
of its lease, besides being put to heavy
expense TO feed the natives of the sea
isiaDds. who subsist upon the rookeries, so
the company has entered an energetic pro-
test against the renewal of the modus.
The pelagic sealers managed to take 100, 900
skins last season, while the company was
limited to 1900
Meanwhile the need for speedy agree.
ment of some kind is evidenced by the
fact that already number OF sealing
vessels are reported TO have cleared for the
sealing waters, and are consequently
almost beyond the reach of proper notice
of a change in the regulations. Levi w
Myers. Consul at Victoria, reports to the
State Department that the feet of sealing
schooners hailing from tina. port is now
ready for the work of the coming season
and all were expected TO be out by Feb
ruary 1. They took provisions for nine
months. and they clear for the NORTH
Pacific.
He says: 81 am assured that all expect
to 60 direct to the Russian siGe. the re-
strictions of that Government terminating
by their own terms on January l, 1894
Thirty2four vessels Of the feet have sailed
from Victoria for Japan and ten for the
North Pacific. making forty four in ALL"
The feet of 1892 consisted of eighty-f
vessels and that of last year fifty-two
The number for this year. it is estimated,
will not exceed fifty.