The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-02
WHAT IS THE "AGREEMExTs"

The seal fishery question, now in
some kind of stew down in Washing
ton, is not a very large public matter
in itself. 1t Affects only few gentle
men forming tie ANorth American
Commercial COMPANY, who have been
given monopoly of sealing on the
Pribyloff islands TT also concerns that
limited number of citizens in this coun-
try who find innthe garments made
from the pelts Sort of social distinc-
ton given by the costliness of the ap-
parel. 1t also touchasi the interests of
few furriers in England who possess
and keep the secret of tanning and
dressing the skins. But small as it is
it has been the cause of an interna-
tional complication that has disturbed
the relations of this country and Great
Britain for over ten years, and, if Mr.
John ". Foster can have his way,
promises to lead to further, more ex-
tended and more serious ones.
The parties in interest are our North
American Commercial company, with
whatever interests the United States
may have in it's operations, and the
sealers of the Dominion of Canada
Japan has a slight interest, not as
much in seals of her own, as in catch
ing them by such of her subjects as
choose to engage in that business.
Russia has larger interest, having
islands on her eastern coast frequent
ed by seals, but that interest is guard
ed by convention arranged with
Great Britain that prevents pelagic
sealing inside of a thirty-mile zone sur
rounding the breeding grounds. The
purpose of our government is to Sc
cure the establishment of a similar
zone of larger extent within which seal
catching will be piracy. If this is ac-
complished the sealing of the world
will practically be monopoliZed by Rus
STA and the company to which our gov
eminent has awarded the exclusive
right to catch seals in its territory.
1t was to secure this arrangement
that Mr. Foster has been trying to
coax and drive Great Britain, repre-
senting Canada, into his international
conference, which. representing this
country, Japan and Russia, is now sit
ting behind closed doors and with
sealed lips in Washington. 1t was to
retain the right of open sea sealing
awarded by the Paris commission that
England, acting for Canada, refused
to enter into the convention. These
are the facts of the case to date. From
Washington we have one Of those
pieces of unofficial information relating
to the sittings of the representatives Of
the three nations that are occasionally
allowed to escape the seal Of secrecy
in shape to be officially denied if neces-
sary. Some proposition has been made
and submitted to the foreign govern
ments which is acceptable to this
country and which has a far-reaching
scope" We are told that it provides
for the material limitations or the en-
tire suspension of pelagic sealing" To
glaze over the evident result of such
an agreement it is said that it will not
'involve any concerted attempt to
menace the claims of Great Britain
and Canada" but will be an expression
of these nations that such sealing
should cease tfn the interests of. hui
mainly"
This being the attitude of all these
governments now, excepting. the ex-
pressed solicitude for 1.-The interests Of
humanity" it is difficult to see why
there should be any formal expression
of it or why the agreement reached
should have to be submitted to the
governments of Japan and Russia. 1t
is more probable that the agreement
calls for the joint action of these pow
ers to stop open sea sealing. If it does,
we will be face to face with a
very ugly question. England and Can
ada have the judicially determined
right TO pelagic sealing. England has
shown a disposition to restrict the
catch so as to preserve the herds. In
the assertion oL QUIZ IlSHt W MAKE d
closed sea of Boring sea we seized and
| confscated, without right, Canadian
sealers and refused to pay the dam
ages. England declines further action
until they are paid. Should these three
nations now attempt to coerce England
into a surrender of the right of sealing
in the open sea, should this be the pur-
pose Of this agreement" it is easy to
see that we may have a very serious
international complication on our
hands very soon.