The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-20
BUT UNCLE SAM WINS.
British Criticism of the Agreement
to Discuss Fur Seal Questions.

to Discuss Fur Seal Questions.
LONDON, Sept. Accommodating on
the communications from the colonial
office to the foreign office, on the dis
patch Of Secretary Sherman to Ambas-
sador Hay, the STANDARD says: The
correspondence shows the British gov
eminent has a perfect right to make
complaints of the government at
Washington, and the eareful reader
can easily discover in Mr.. Chamber
lain's exposition the basis of serious
indictment against the United States,
not only on account of its underhand-
ed and unwarrantable 0treatment of
British sealers, but IalSo on account Of
it's obvious desire to compass the de-
struction of British Industry and TO
overturn the Paris award.
Whether in these circumstances it
was wise to agree to conference,
time will show. Possibly some good
will come of a friendly consultation.
In the meantime the Mckinley ADMIN
istration will, perhaps cultivate f
more conciliatory tone in its communl-
cations with European states.
The Daily News, dealing with the
blue book, says:
1--WE receive the gift Of the blue book with
some nlisglving and with the suspicion mat
Its contents are highly provocative. Mr..
Chant ,r.ain, in writing his ieply to Mr.
Shrrnpns dispatch, had not been 'lstrained
by any of those concerns of dip. ,ma:ic cur
tesv which Mr.. Sherman has bssn 50 freely
cAnsured for neg1ecting. Why has the presen:
mel, rrt been chosen for the pup''t loh CT
singing recrimiEations and ranking ,mfu-
ta:ions of bad faith? The present cxElniileh
OF ini.enat.tn is either too late or too seen;
or there is some contemplated hitch m the
negotiations requiring revival OF Inc heateo
controversy, just when we all thoueR. the
combatants were cooling down There Is no
other sign of a hitch and we do not beHeve
there is hitch Either the dlspatcnes Oh
Mr. Chamberlain have been allowed to come
out inadvertently, simply pecalse me fiill. me,
was ready-in which case blun1er has been
committed almost as serious as the puDnca-
ton of Mr.. Sherman's d1spatch n July-or
there has been foolish desire to sratl1y per
sonal vanity. or to show the Canadians that
thew had a valiant defender; in which case
the blunder was nearly the proportions OF
crime. for it would be a crime to impern
friendly negotiation at the moment Wheh
settlement was almost in view.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19.-The Of
fcials of the state department are not
disposed to comment on the fur seal
correspondence given out by the Brush
foreign office and summarized In the
London Times further than to say that
it shows the object sought by the gov
eminent of the United States for the
mast three years has been attained by
the agreement of Great Britain to par
ticipate in the conference to be held in
October. The British government has
seen fit to limit it's part in the confer
ence to an ascertainment of the facts
in dispute as to seal life. 1t was pre-
cisely this result which was contem-
plated by Secretaries Gresham and Oh
ney when they proposed the creation
of a commission Of scientists to ascer-
tain whether under the operation OF
the existing regulations the seals were
or were not on the road to extermina-
ton. If such a commission should re-
mort in favor of the contention of the
United States, this government did not
doubt that Great Britain would con-
sent to such modification of the regula-
lions as would save the seals from eX-
| termination. This continued refusal OF
the British government to consent to
such a commission and conference led
to the transmission to Ambassador
Hay of Secretary Shermans note OF
| May 10. which was followed by LORD
| Saisbury's reply agreeing to confer
ence. 60.
Surprise is expressed at the state de-
partment that the London Times
| should publish only the concluding
paragraph Of Secretary Sherman's note
! and devote four columns to commu-
| nication from the colonial office, which
| is referred to as Chamberlain's an
swer to Secretary Sherman, a paper
which has not been communicated to
| the state department, and, therefore, te
which an official reply cannot be made.