The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-19
THE SEALING CONFERENCE.
n sATISFAoTORY sETTL EMrENT PRE-
VENTED By SIR WIIFRID.
Tho Unitod States Proposed n Money Consider
alton 20 the Canadians Tor the Absndon-
pent or PeinEio seaiinE. but Sir Wilfrid
Ihnrler HrnnnnnIx nnrlinnd IN Cnnnlder ~.

The Waited States PROPOSED n Money Consider
alton 20 the Canadians Tor the Absndon-
nent or PeihEic Sealing, but sir Wiirrid
Iaurier BruAqueIy Declined to Consider u.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1s.-Commercial and dip
lomatic negotiations between Canada and the
United states will proceed upon the theory by
the United States that thcre arc involved In the
seal question alone enough factors to admit or
FREQ play of the diplomatic gamo OF give and
take, upon which Sir Wilfrid Lauricr laid such
great stress at all times during his recent ten
day stay In Washington. As a knowledge or
the proceedings OF the experts becomes known,
1t is moro and more apparent that q satisfactory
settlement OF the question with which they were
dealing was made impossible only by Sir Will
frid's selfish refusal to permit It to DO reached.
Prof. Darcy Wentworth Thompson, the British
expert, 1t is known, came to Washington direct
from a conference with Foreign Office officials at
Loudon, possessed OF the idea that the Canadians
would accept a money consideration Tor tho
abandonment OF the pursuit Of pelagic sealing;in
which considerable property was invested. 1t
was a technical right which had been affirmed by
the Paris Tribunal In 1898, but every nation In
terested In the welfare OF the seals believed that,
in the interest of tho herd and the
which they sustained. 1t ought not to be in
sisted upon. Nevertheless. tho United States has
been content to reimburse the Canadians for the
loss incurred by them In tho suspension OF the
Industry; in fact, It was proposed by the British
MIR. Foster was in Europe last summer.
The proposition evidently made a favorable
impression upon the British oficiGis' FOR, AS
impressed with the idea that the difficulty be.
tween the United States and Canada. as far as
tho goals were concerned, would be settled In
that way. 1t may be that a knowledge of
this fact reached the Canadian officials and dis
turbed them. II SO, that viii account for some
nth or uisn ipeNnlipa hIn Tnaffprg nnn nf thpga
WAS the publication of n report telcgraphed
from Ottawa some days before the seal.
officials were much concerned, over. re.
ports that Prof. Thompson had fallen a victim
to oDd The hod social Comm MILES iSa %, Of M EnyarnHssmi ,n 3 SnnTsc
in the seal matter which Canada could not APP
prove. And, 1t went on to say. they wanted to
stopped at Ottawa en- route to Washington. No
attempt was made to dignity the first part OF
the story with denial or explanation. AS to the
latter, Prof. Thompson merely remarked that
he had acted under orders from London, and
they did not contemplate IA visit to Ottawa.
rival at WASHINGTON of Mr.. Macoun, the
Canadian expert. He had been expected here
did weak isave Os 63iSwa he his fs" sGui " e ~n ns th he
ie%rn That Sir WilfriS LauFIsr and Sir
!mtely no foundation for the report that Sir
Wilfrid Lanrier visited Washington Mt the in
tives to talk reciprocity or anything else, The
Dominion officials came of their own ~volition
and it is more, than suspected that Mr.
Macouu was held in Ottawa until the pro
gramIne followed by the Premier in Washing
ton was fully matured. He did not want a set
Element OF the seal question on its own merits
and zane here to prevent oven the inception Of
ono by representatives of the United States anc
Great Britain. So far he has succeeded,
The conference Of tho experts. it is learned
was ate ded with much animation OF debate
but that 1t related rather to matters of express
sion, not OF fact. They were not far apart, 1t i
said, on the merits OF any proposition, but II
phrasing them to express the fact large DIFF
%ferences arose, In some cases irreconcilabl
The British and Canadian experts believed tina
pelagic sealing should be stopped: those of tn
United States believed that some compensation
should be made by the Canadians for the sus
pension of scaling. And there was genuin
disappointment when Sir Wilfrid Lau
rier brusquely declined to consider that basis o
settlement, for the reason that he did not deem
It proper for Canada 10 accept a cash bonus OF
behalf of her people. II the interested Govern
ments, will refer the matter to the experts, IL l
thought an agreement can DO reached within
week.