New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-18
SETTLING THE SEAL QUESTION.

The Foreign Relations Committee of the SEN
ate IS about to report favoraby bill designed
TO end once for all, the controversy about the
fur seals Of Bchring Sea. Briefly stated II pro
yides for three things: First for the prompt
conclusion and proclamation of temporary
modus viycndi between this Government and
Great RritaIn japan and Russia for limiting the
yearly catch Of seals and for protecting them
from indscriminate slaughter Next, for further
negotiations with the same Governments for Il
prrmanent system OF preserving and cultlyatlng
the seals And finally, In case neither OF the
foregoing ends can be attained for the immcdi
ate determination Of the seals, or at least Of all
the herds which make the Prbyloff Islands their
home. That Is contemplated only rs last des-
pcrate resort But II is contemplated. and 1t is
by no means improbable that it h what we shall
actually come To as the only means OF getting rid
Of far greater evils. For that the present system
OF peagic sealing should be pcrpciiAted Is IN
tOlerable Common humanity forbids H. lar
better would it be to kill all the seals of in IN
expeditions and buSincsSlke manner than 10
continue this horrible manning and iorturing,
and booming lnnumcrablc victims 10 die in pro-
longed agony from wounds and starvation
Yet it is to be doubted If ever more eNtraor-
binary proposition WAS made 10y the Government
Of a great Power. For years the sealing question
has been a vcxed one The greatest two Powers
in the world have been negotiating over II. max
Ing treaties sending ont naval expeditions. spend
Ing millions Of money, convokins international
courts Of arbitration. and MI but going to war.
Finally all these things having miscrably failed
it is seriously proposed 10 destroy utterly the OBJ
iect If contention. 1t Is as if we could not agree
about the terms which people might Visit
Niagara Falls and about preserving order there.
and so determined 10 abolish the Falls alto
gethcr II Is worse than that. because the seals
are not only great natural phenomenon pul
are also something that appeals To our sense oil
humanity Outside Of the human race iisrir. the
animate creation presents no more touching ana
impressive spectacle than that of tl" yearly WISH
Of the seals TO their favorlc island hllint>. Yet
because II tn savage greed for gold, AMI DE
cause Of utter unscrupulousnc>s in seeking lrlt-
ifcotion OF that greed. this Nation Is moved 10
send forth a military and naval expedition
against those harmless and interesting creatures.
a. though they were pirates and outlaws ana
cXtcrmnate them from the face Of the earth.
II woulI seem Il rolring farce If it were not
most woful tragedy.
There need BE- no mistake in placing the blame
for this dcplorabe outcome II years OF coniro-
versv. The United States and Great Britain are
Jointly charged with the task Of policing those
seas and preventing illegal sealing which j. al
WAYS cruel wastcfu and wicked. TIL" United
States has faithfully cndcayorcd 10 fuhi That
task. and has done all that it was possible Tor
one Power alone 10 do. Great Britain has made
no such cndeavor. but has deliberately neglected
her evident moral and legal duty. 50 the pres
cnt Arrangement has come - be one which for
bids United States citizens 10 20 sealing. AMI
imposes vast trouble and expense upon the
United States Government, but relieves the Brit
| ish Government therefrom and gives British
subjects license TO harry and slaughter the seals
nj their Will This should have been clear 10 the
| British Government long ago; and this. also,
that such an inequitabe and barbarous arrange
| ment could not last long, but would inevitably
| provoke some catastrophe Certainly the NEIL
ace contained In this bill should make these facts
clear. and rouse the British Government 10 proper
| action. For it Is not an empty menace. The
| United States Government means 1t In deadly
| earnest, and IS perfectly able 10 execute it
promptly and thoroughly 1t rests with Great
| Britain to say whether we shall be driven 10
| that dcplOrable alternative or not.