Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-13
OUR ELUSIVE NAVIGATION LAWS.

"=-=-=--
The AIaskun Claims Furnish an Interest,"
ing Object Lesson People who DO Not
Wear sculsSin Goats Have to Pay for u
PrepOster0us Claim.
Philadelphia l;eoord, Dec 6
From first TO last the prot lection of the
Alaskan fur seal monopoly has cost the
co. ornment of the United States far more
than all the seals are worth. The masses
OF the American people, who do not wear
sealskin coats, have paid dearly for the
assertion OF preposterous claim of cS-
elusive jurisdiction over part of the high
seas, and more remains to be paid. In his
message President Cleyelgnd asks Congress
TO make an appropriation for the payment
OF damages to owners OF the sealing ships
which were seized by American cruisers
in Behring Sea and condemned by Ameri-
can courts of admiralty. The exact
amount OF these damages has been nscer-
tanned Ia be $i33,5Tl for distribution
among IS ship owners.
In reluctantly cOnsenting to arbitrate
the Behring Sea question with Great Brit
ain MIR. HarrsOn's administration agreed
to pay these claims ii the Court should
decide that the United States had not
exclusive jurisdiction over the waters in
which the ships were seized The Paris
Tribunal decided that the United States
had NO right to seize vessels in Behring
Sea, which was declared 10 he mere
geographical designation of part of the
Pacific Ocean.
There is, then, not a shadow of an
equitable defence against the payment of
these claims; and Congress has no excuse
Tor withholding the appropriation. 1t has
been officially stated that the majority Of
these claimants are American citizens, al
though this fact does not enhance the
obligation of the United States govern.
ment 10 pay the damages awarded them.
While the ships seized in Behring Sea by
United states glnboats for the benefit OF
the Alaska fur seal monopoly were OF
foreign build, there was nothing foreign
about them except the flags they carried.
The owners, the captains and the crews
were Americans. But as the ships had
foreign registry, the anomaly is presented
of the British flag protecting American
citizens against the I'M uStice OF the Ameri-
can government. The American claimants
whose ships were seized in Behring Sea
and condemned might have waited very
long for compensation for their losses but
for the award of the Paris tribunal These
honest SHIPPERS who hruved the perils of
the sea i'll quest of seals, and who were
denounced as "poachers" and 'pirates"
by the attorneys and lobby agents of the
ALASKA Fur Seal Co., would have vainly
pleaded tor justice against ;be potent in-
iiuenee Of that monopoly. Now when
their rights have been established by an
impartial court of arbitration, ii remains
To be seen how long the payment Of their
losses from seizure and detention will be
deferred.
Although in appearance international,
this Alaskan affair is seen, in the light of
these claims for damages TO have been in
the larger degree a domestic question. In
its international aspects the claim on the
part OF this government was so feeble that
1t should never have been submitted to
arbitration, 1t is in the highest degree
! probable that the controversy would not
have arisen but for the spirit of Jingoism,
| allied with the strong interest of the
| Alaska Fur Seal Co. in the monopuly
| OF killing seals On the Pribiluf Islands.
| The Facts revealed in this Alaskan case
| afford another striking example of the
| impotent absurdity of the navigation laws
| of this country. While the British Govern
| ment was bound to maintain the rights Of
| its flag on the high seas, the claimants for
the protection of that flag are American
| citizens, converted nominally into aliens
| by compulsory foreign registry of their
ships. That foreign fleet poaching and
| ravaging" in the waters of Alaska, to The
! great injury of the fur seal monopoly, turns
out to have been for the most part an
American iieet except in its flag. Ii the
navigation laws should be repealed this
fleet would be covered hy the stars and
| Stripes. The Commissioner of Navigation
i has endeayoreu to ascertain the amount of
shipping owned by Americans and regis
tered Us foreign tonnage. II has been
| found that the American tonnage under
foreign flags is greater than the tonnage
4 on the high seas under American registry.
There is no doubt that considerable
amount of American shipping under
foreign flags has escaped discovery This
little American seal fleet under the British
| flag is one of many EXAMPLES of the
elusive character OF tile navigation laws.