The herald., 1897-07-15
PELAGIC
SEALING
Doesn't Worry the English
Government
WHILE POLITICIANS PALTER
THE FUR SEAL IS FAST BEING
DESTROYED
WHILE POLITICIANS PALTER
Ambassador Hay Given Instructions
to Press the Matter Upon the
Attention of England

| NEW YORK, July 14-A special to
the Tribune from Washington says: I'm
portant instructions have recently been
sent by Secretary Sherman to Ambas-
sador Hay for his guidance in urging
upon the British government a compli-
ance with the provisions of the Bering
Sea award which looked to the preser-
walton of seal life in Alaskan waters.
The instructions were prepared as re-
ply to recent note from Lord Salisbury
handed to Secretary Sherman by Sir Ju-
liam Pauncefote a few days before the
British Ambassador sailed for London
from New York
| They show at length England's policy
Of procrastination, her continued fail
ure and refusal to support this govern
ment in its efforts to prevent the exter-
mination of the seal herd and the anx-
iety of the United States, frequently
made known to the London Foreign Of
| flee, that steps should be taken to pre-
serve the seals as an obligation imposed
by the Paris tribunal The instructions
| in part are as follows:
don: The British Ambassador has hand
| ed me a copy of a dispatch to him from
! her Majesty's principal Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, which consti-
| tutee the reply of the British govern
ment to the proposals of the President
as presented in note of your embassy
| for a modus vivendi for a suspension of
all killing of seals for the present season
O., tA;, fn, y,
concerned, with a view to the necessary
measures being adopted for the preser-
walton of the fur seal in the North Pa
| cific. 1t will be seen that both pro-
posals are rejected.
| 1 need hardly to say that the Pree-
| dent is disappointed at this action and
especially when it is based upon such
unsubstantial and inadequate reasons.
The Presidents concern, in view of the
depleted condition of the seal herd, wac
occasioned not alone from an examina-
ton of DR.. Jordan's report of 1896 and
what he had reason to suppose were the
conclusions of Prof. Thompson, but it
was based upon a series of observations
| and statistics covering a much longer
| period than that treated by those gen.
| tlemen, establishing statement of facts
| beyond refutation and which is in part
| set forth in my note to the British Am
bassador of the same date as my cable
gram to you. 1t is, therefore, quite sur
prising that her Majeety's Secretary
should base his rejection of the pro-
posals of this government so impressive
ly presented upon the report of one sci
enlist, whose facts and conclusions are
incorrectly apprehended, and the de-
layed report of another which is for the
first time made public concurrently with
the receipt of his Lordship's note 1t
would have been gratifying to me and
| useful to my government in studying
this important subject under considera-
ton if Prof. Thompson's report could
have been made public with the prompt
nesss which marked that of Prof. Jordan.
In that case there would have been am
pie time for both governments to have
examined the reports of these two emil
nent scientists before the opening of an
other sealing season. But it seems to
have better suited the purpose of her
Majestys government to withhold Prof.
Thompson's report until an opportunity
was offered to examine that of
Prof Jordan, and thus enable the for
mer to pass the latter in review, criticise
| it's statements and as far as possible
minimize ite conclusions. 1t is not pleas.
ant to have to state that the impartial
character which it has been the custom
to attach to the reports of naturalists of
high standing has been greatly impair
ed by the subjection of this
report to the political exigencies of the
situation. 1t is further to be regretted
| that the report was so long delayed that
no opportunity was afforded this gov
ernment to examine it before the definite
and final rejection Of the Presidents
proposals, based mainly upon it's con-
clusions, was communicated to me. This
conduct recalls the incident which pre-
ceded the arbitration at Paris, and
which came near rendering that arbi-
tration abortive when similar report of
II British commission was withheld up.
| til after the case of each government
was exchanged and the report of the
commission was made public. Lord
| Salisbury asserts that Dr. Jordan's re-
| port does not contain any facts warrant
! ing the statement. "there is depleted
condition and prospective early extinc-
ton of the herd The note of your
embassy of the 10th ult. does not attrib-
ute such statement to DR.. Jordan, but
it is difficult to understand how any
one can read his report without reaching
| the conclusion that such is the real con-
| dition of the herd.
| Here Secretary Sherman quotes freely
| from the report for the purpose of sus,-
| tanning this contention. Continuing, he
says Prof. Thompson's report is plainly
written, with view to minimize, 80
| far as possible, the depleted condition
| of the herd on Pribyloff islands, and re-
| quires critical examination not possi-
BILE within the limits of the present in
struction, but its general purpose may
be briefly stated. 1t is to be regretted
that he should not have contracted this
study within the purview of his in
structions. He confined his inquiry to the
number of seals resortng to the island
and particularly to the relative number
in 1895 and 1896. The result of his OBJ
servaucs and inquiries seemed to be that