Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-14
ENGLAND TO BLAME
Cause of the Commercial Extermina-
ton of the Fur Seals.
SECY. SHERMAN TO AMBASSADOR HAY
international Relations Must Be-
come Embarrassed.
SUICIDAL AND UNFRIENDLY

AS has been already stated in The Star,
the Secretary of State recently sent IN
structlons to Ambassador Hay at London
to make vigorous representations to the
British government for the better protec-
ton and preservation Of the seal herds of
Alaska. These instructions form part of
the Bering sea correspondence which has
been prepared for transmission to Con-
gress but which is temporarily withheld.
The following is the text of Secretary
Sherman's letter:
The Instructions.
His Excellency John Hay, etc, London.
The British ambassador has handed me
copy of a dispatch to him from her
majesty's principal secretary of state for
foreign affairs, which dispatch constitutes
the reply of the British government to the
proposals of the President presented in
note OF your embassy. for a modus vi
vendi for the suspension of all killing of
seals for the present season, and for d
joint conference of the powers concerned,
with view to the necessary measures be-
ing adopted for the preservation of the fur
seal in the North Pacific 1t will be seen
that both proposals are rejected.
1 need hardly say that the President is
greatly disappointed at this action, espe-
cialy when it is based upon such unsub-
stantial and inadequate reasons. The Pres
icents concern. in view of the depleted
condition of the seal herd, was occasioned
not alone from an examination of DIR. Jor-
dar's report of 1885, and what he had rea-
son to suppose were the conclusions of
Prof. Thompson, but ii was based upon a
series of observations and statistics cover
ing much longer period than that treated
by these gentlemen, establishing state
OF facts beyond refutation and which is IN
part set forth in my note to the British
ambassador of the same date my cable
gram to you 1t is therefore quite surpris-
ing that her majesty's secretary should
base his rejection of the proposals of this
government, so impressively presented,
upon the report of one scientist. whose
facts ard conclusions are incorrectly ap-
pretended, and the delayed report of an
other, which is for the first time made pub
lie concurrently with the receipt of hts
lcrdship's note.
Lack of Good Faith Charged.
1t would have been gratifying to me and
useful to my government, in studying the
important subject under consideration, If
Prof. Thompson's report could have been
made public with the promptness which
marked the appearance cf that of DIR. Jor-
dan. In that case there would have been
ample time for both governments to have
examined the reports of these two en-
iLent scientists before the opening of an
other sealing season. But it seems to have
better suited the purposes of her majesty's
government to withhold Prof Thompson'S
report until an opportunity was afforded 10
examine that of DIR. Jordan, and thus en-
able the former to pass the latter in re-
view, criticise its statements, and ds far as
possible minimize It's conclusions.
1t is not pleasant to have to state that
the impartial character which 1t has been
the custom to attribute to the reports of
naturalists of high standing has been
greatly impaired by the apparent subjec-
this renOrt n the DOlitical pXigen-
cies of the situation. 1t is further to be
regretted that the report was so long de-
layed that no opportunity was afforded this
government to examine it before the def
mite and final rejection of the Presidents
propo SAILS based mainly upon its conclu-
sions, was communicated to me. This con-
duct recalls the incident which preceded
the arbitration at Paris, and which came
near rendering that arbitra ation abortive,
when similar report of British commits
sion was withheld until after the case OF
each government was exchanged and the
report of the American commission made
public.
Decline of the Herd.
Lord Salisbury asserts that DR.. Jordan's
report does not contain any facts warrant
ing the statement that there is "a depleted
condition and prospective early extinction
of the herd" The note of your embassy
of the 10th ultimo does not attribute such
to understand how any one can read his
report without reaching the conclusion
that such is the real condition of the herd.
On page IS he says: From this time QSS6)
on the decline has been more rapid and has
been continuous.
On page u he clearly recognizes diminu-
tion as evidenced by photographs, as also
by decrease of harems. On page 66 he
uses this expression LAS the herd is
steadily diminishing the spring, or north
west, catch is becoming relatively unim-
portant.' Other citations might be made,
but it would seem unnecessary in view of
his declarations, often repeated in his re-
port, respecting pelagic sealing, from which
1 give only one extract (page 29): "Pelagic
sealing, in the judgment of the members of
the present commission, has been the sole
cause of the continued decline of the fur
seal herds. 1t is at present the sole OBJ
stacle TO their restoration, and the sole
limit to their indefinite increase. 1t is
therefore evident that settlement of
the fur seal question: as regards either the
American or Russian islands, can be per-
manent unless 1t shall provide for the ces-
sation of the indiscriminate killing of fur
seals. both on the sealing grounds and on
their migrations. There can be no open
season for the killing of females if the
herd is to be kept intact
Prof. Thompson's Report.
Prof. Thompson's report is plainly writ
ten with a view to minimize as far as pos
the Pribyloff islands, and requires a crit
ical examination not possible within the
limits of the present instruction. but its
general purpose may be briefly stated. 1t
is to be regretted that he should have con-
tracted his study far within the purview
of his instructions. In the outset of his re-
port he says: The main object of my
mission was the collection of information
and statistics with regard to the working
and effectiveness of the regulations of the
Paris tribunal But We look in vain in his
report for any discussion of that all-im-
portapt subject. He confined his inquiry
and report to the subordinate subject of
the number of seals resorting to the is
lands and particularly to the relative num-
ber in 1895 and 1896. The result of his OBJ
servations and inquiry seemed to be that
on some rookeries there was an increase
and on others a decrease, but on the
whole a possible state of equilibrium for
the last two years, salthough ne comedies
a diminution as compared with 1892. If all
the professor claims is admitted 1t does
not initiate against the contention that
since pelagic sealing became general the
decline of the herd has been steady and
rapid.
The apps equilibrium noted in his re-
port is well explained by DR.. Jordan, when
he says Page 1S): There is evidence that