The San Francisco call., 1897-09-18
REOP PEuING THE
SEAL DISPUTE
London Times" Pub
fishes Correspondence
on the Subject.
Secretary Sherm ans Famous
Dispatch Comes in for
Criticism.
Salisbury Seems to Have Been All
Right and Uncle Sam All
Wrong.

LIN OONJ GNU'i A10p ~ HS
this morning publishes the gist OF the
correspond ence between Secretary Sher-
man and Lord Salisbury in the Bering Sea
controversy. The book covers period
beginning with 1895 and ending with July
80 of the present year. Altogether there
are twenty-Seven dispatches which show
that the United States has pressed for
revision since January, 1895.
The Times remarks: Though Mr.. Sher-
man so far forgot himself as TO sign the
famous dispatch, we cannot suppose that
ne actually wrote it.
Only the concluding paragraph OF the
dispatch is republished, all the terms
deemed disccurteous being omitted.
The Times then adds: 'Loro Salisbury
wisely refrained from answering the dis
patch in detail. He confined himself to
impartIng a short note to Embassador
Hay, dated July %, 1897, stating that the
Government was willing to agree to a
meeting OF the experts in October, pre-
ferably in Washington, and that other
portions of Mr.. Shermans dispatch, in so
far as they required any reply from her
Msj.sty's Government. had been answered
by anticipation in d spatches he Uord
Paumcefote on April % and May Z, which
had been communicated TO the Govern
ment of the United States on July 26. ="
In Ions letter from the Colonial
Office 10 the Foreign Office, signed Edward
Wingfield, occupying four columns OF
small print the Times deals with Mr..
Shermans dispatch in detail. In this
document, which IS prepared by Mr..
Cham berain, the latter points out that
Mr. Sherman's contention that the exter-
mination of fur bearing seals had been
practically accomplished cannot have
come to pass, ao in that case there would
be nothing at all to form the subject mat
ter of negotiations.
The document proceeds: LORD Sails
bury pointed out in May that the English
interests haG for some years exceeded the
American in the fur-s aling industry. 1t
cannot, therefore be for the advantage OF
the British Government or,those whom it
represents tha: the seals should be exter-
minated.
Mr. Cham berlain contends that Great
Britain has taken adequate me asures-
much more complete In some directions
than those adopted by the United States
for securing The enforcement OF the Paris
regulations, and says it was never in
tended by the tribunal of rbitEa;ion that
the United States officers shoul9 be given
the power OF supervfslng and cbntroiIng
the action OF British naval and customs
officers with regard to the inspection OF
skins.
The British Government, he asserts, has
performed with the utmost rlgor all the
requirements OF the awards, but has had
10 make continual unavailing protests
agains the attempts of the United States
to hamper and embarrass the operations
of British subjects pursuing their lawful
vocation.
'sBut the fact" continues MIR. Cham ber-
lain, ''that in spite OF those embaarass-
ments British sealers have been BILE 10
prosecute the industry successfully has
led 10 continued efforts by the United
States TO obtain further regulations as
would effe ectively prevent that result,
without regard TO the objects OF the
award"
The Co onial Office concludes as follows:
"The Government has never argued that
the regulations are perfect, but 1t has
maintained that before they can be re-
vised accurate information as to the in
crease or decrease of the herd must be
made availa Bile. Such information is only
obtainabe by accurate observation tend
ing over q period sufficient to enable acci-
dental circums stancs TO be eliminated. As
soon as that is at hand the Government is
ready to enter upon a discussion OF the
question in the impartial and friendly
spirit with which the Govern ment can
confidently claim it has acted throughout
the entire controversy.
The Times, commenting editorially
upon the Bering sea correspondence,
says:
1.-The publication of the dispatches
showing how the agreement for new
conference was arnved at will be relief
to the public mind. Nothing has been
done to compromise the dignity of the
nation or TO give even an apparent tri-
umph 10 the tactics OF unwarrantable die
tation.
"Mr. Sherman extraordinary dispatch
unexam pied probably in the annals of
diplomacy, has been conclusively an
swered in state papers, admirable alike in
reasoning power and literary form, pre-
pared by the Colonial Office, dealing fully
with Mr Snerman's contentious and de-
molishing the m in the most complete and
satisfactory way.
"The document absolves Lord Salisbury
from the necessity oi entering into de-
tails irrelevant TO the controversy and at
the same time it l-aves him free to assent
to an investigation relating TO matters of
fact which 1t is obviously desira ble to
have ascertained before the time arrives
to consider whether it is necessary or de-
sira BILE TO revise the pelagic regulations"
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