The herald., 1897-09-21
NEGOTIATION MAY BE BEGUN
WHEN PAUNCEFoTE RETURNS
TO HIS POST
Ill Feeling Stirred Up by the Sealing
Question Must First Cool
Down a Little

ment at Washington and the British
to reopen negotiations for a general
treaty of arbitration is al least prema-
ture.
1t Is not improbable that the negotia-
lions, which have never been broken off,
may be resumed next month when Sir
Julian Pauncefote returns to his post
but it is difficult to see how treaty Of
any practical value can be concluded so
long as the Senate maintains the hostile
and obstructive attitude it displayed
when it last discussed the question.
Sir Julian will return to his post in
time for the conference of the special
Bering Sea commission. to be held at the
end of October or the beginning of No.
vember. Prof. Percy Thompson is now
en- route home and will start for Wash
ington next month.
SHERMAN'S DISPATCH
LONDON, Sept. Accommodating on
the communication from the Colonial
Office on the dispatch of Secretary Sher-
man to Ambassador Hay, the Standard
says:
THE correspondence shows that the
British government has a perfect an
swer to the complaints of the govern
ment at Washington and the careful
reader can easily discover In Mr.. Cham
berlain's exposition the basis of serious
indictment against the United States,
not only on account Of its high handed
and quite unwarrantable treatment Of
British sealers, but also on account of
its obvious blunder, which has nearly
attained the proportions of a crime, for
it would be crime to imperil a friendly
negotiation at the moment when a set
tlement was almost in view.
whether in these circumstances it
was wise to agree to conference, time
will show. Possibly some good will
come of friendly consultation. In the
meantime, the Mckinley administration
will, perhaps, cultivate more concilia-
tory tone in its communications with
European States"
The Daily News dealing with the Blue
Book says:
I'VE receive the gift of the Blue Book
with some misgiving and with the sus-
picion. that its contents are highly pro-
vocative. Mr.. Chamberlain, in writing
his reply to Mr. Sherman's dispatch, has
not been restrained by any of those con-
Germs for diplomatic courtesy which Mr.
Sherman has been so freely censured
for neglecting. Why has the present
moment been chosen for the publica-
ton of singing recriminations and
ranking imputat tions of bad faith? The
present exhibition of indignation is
either too late or too soon, or there is
some contemplated hitch in the nego-
tiations requiring a revival Of the heat
ed controversy just when we all thought
the combatants were cooling down.
There is no other sign of hitch and
we do not believe there is hitch. Either
the dispatches of Mr.. Chamberlain have
been allowed to come out inadvertently,
simply because the printer was ready,
in which case a blurder has been COM
mitted almost as serious as the pubIi-
cation Of Mr. Sherman's dispatch in
July, or there has been foolish desire
to crafty personal vanity or to show
the Canadians that they had valiant
defender"
The Globe. in its comment on the fulfill
afternoon in the editorial on the fulfil
ity of arbitration with power (which
disregards alike legal prescriptions and
the ordinary courtesies of civilized ma
tions." says: Lord Salisbury has treat
ed the United tSates with kindness they
do not deserve, always wearing the
silker. glove until America has forgot
ten the existence of the iron hand be-
neath."
In conclusion, the Globe remarks, "The
idea Of our being afraid of fourth-rate
power like the United States could only
have occurred to sufferers from a Sc
we're attack Of swelled head. America
has lost all sense Of proportion, and for
gotten that she plays only minor role
in the affairs of the world. We hope our
relations with America will hereafter
be distinguished by firmer tone, as the
only way to avert trouble is to make hcr
plainly understand that we are deter
mined not to be shouted out Of our
rights"
THE NEW MATTER
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.-The state
department today made public thA cor
respondence in the Bering sea negotia-
tions which were set free recently in
London. The new matter is comprised IN
two letters, July 28th and 29th last from
Lord Salisbury and Ambassador Hay re-
spectively. In Lord Salisbury's note is
the definition from the British stand
point of the exact scope Of the confer
ence, in this language: Il have to state
that her majesty's government Is willing
to agree to a meeting of experts, NOM
mated by Great Britain and Canada and
the United States, in October next, when
the present session will have been com
pleted.
1.-THE object Of the meeting would be to
arrive, If possible, at the correct con-
clusions respecting the numbers, condi-
tions and habits of the seals frequenting
the Pribyloff island at the present time
as compared with the several seasons
subsequent to the Paris award.
"It seems to her majesty's govern
ment that Washington would be the
most suitable place for such meeting
Ambassador Hay in reply, which is
very short and is mainly a repetition
of Lord Salisbury's language, calls at
tention to one important point that may
have been overlooked by the British sid Z
or else was ignored, namely, that the
conference Is to be international in one
sense and ID not to be confined entirely
to reports Of the United States and Great
Britain. On this point his letter, which