The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-12
Indications of an Effort to
Settle Matter.
Very Serious Entanglements
Over ii Possible.
Patience OF the Diplomats Said TO
Have Been Exhausted.
washington. April 1s.-The recent ap-

washington. April 1s.-The recent ap
pointment OF ex-Secretary Foster anC
ex-Assistant Secretary Hamlin by tn,
president 10 assist In the negotiation.
now In progress with Great Britain re.
specting the Behring sea fisheries is In.
alcapve that this long standing diplo-
matte issue has at last assumed grave
importance and that an earnest effort
Is TO be made to end the present unsat-
isfactory state of affairs. or at least &c
| place the subject on such a footing be-
fore the beginning of the approaching
| open season as viii prevent ii from
| passing into more serious phase.
The diplomatic correspondence of the
past year makes IL evident that a Sc
we're strain was placed upon the patience
OF the officials OF both the United States
and Great Britain, and the warning
given quietly. yet firmly. by the British
premier. that further proceedings by the
American revenue cutters in the line OF
last years program could not be toler-
ated, and the intimation from Secretary
olney that there would be no change, un-
less additional restrictions were i'm
Tosed upon the British sealing vessels
hold out latent possibilities OF a serious
entanglement of the two friendly
powers, unless some arrangement can
he made before the end OF May. For
the reason that ex-Secretary Foster was
familiar with the earlier stages of the
negotiations leading up to the Paris ar
bitration. while TO ex-Assistant Secre-
tary Hamlin is due In large measure
the credit for the conduct OF the nego-
"a ,f hA lacf n Ng.t..
this subject. they have been chosen to
assist now in composing this threat
ened difficulty.
The trouble appears TO have been prin-
cipally through the refusal OF the Brit
ish authorities TO renew, last year, the
regulation requiring British vessels go
Ing into the seal waters to place their
firearms under seal 10 give effect to
the Paris regulation prohibiting the use
OF such weapons i'm killing seal This
regulation was laid down on evidence
that large proportion of the seals killed
with guns sank and were never recov-
cred, involving wasteful mortality. The
British having refused to seal up their
arms, the United States government
adopted the plan q making a most
thorough search OF every sealing ves-
sci In Behring sea. There was justi-
fcation for search in the regulations.
but again the British government pro-
tested. claiming that British vessels
We're thereby subjected to unnecessary
and most vexatious detention: that their
catches were overhauled and thrown
into confusion. and that the only result
was the discovery of one skin in which |
the American boarding officer thought |
he saw a shot wound, and of log book |
few days in arrears in entries. Yet |
for this, 26 out of 20 British vessels in |
the seal waters were searched so times, |
one vessel baing boarded six times in
"a days.
Secretary Olney. on the other hand |
justified the course of the revenue off,
GERS by pointing out that all OF the three
seized vessels were convicted in Brit
ish courts. lie also gave some start
ling figures TO show the need OF the ad-
ditional restrictive regulations. which
he invited the British government to
accept. From actual count, ne showed
that in 1895 no less than $4,000 dead
zeal pups were found on the seal islands.
which had perished from starvation be-
cause their mothers had been killed
at sea by sealing vessels. Also. II was
stated, that in the same season the ves-
sels had taken 44,169 skins, as against
81 .5S5 in the previous year and Secretary
Olney asserted that IL the killing was
10 go at this rate the total destruction
of the seal herd would be accomplished
n the course OF about two more sea.
IONS. To make the showing worse from
our point OF view It was stated that the
awful catch on the seal islands had
argely fallen off. Efforts were made
% devise some way of ensuring the
zeal against the use Of firearms by
)oachers but they came to nothing, and
he upshot was that both sides stood
irm. the British warning against the
search of British vessels |
md Secretary Olney standing on our
light To make II. Meanwhile, an ex-
'ert commission, sent out by both gov
rnments, made an exhaustive report
ending to support Secretary Olney's
ssertion regarding the probable exter-
nination Of the seals under present con-
itlons. and il must be upon this basis
hat the negotiations will now proceed.
Evangelists ut Lowell.
Lowell. Mass, April l2.-The pulpits
nearly all the evangelical churches i'm {
he city were occupied yesterday by
Iethodist ministers. The principal
ervice was i'm the morning, when Hunt
,gton hall was crowded TO the doors TO }
ear Bishop G. II. Fowler. who preached Z
n eloquent sermon on the resurrection. (
I the afternoon occurred the ordira-
on OF deacons and elders and i'm tho J
ening was held the missionary anni-
ersary. Today's session will be de-
Dted TO business. chief OF which win be
,e making OF the pastoral appointments
'r the year IL is not expected that the
st VIII be announced before late this
'ening.