The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-07-15
THE BEHRING
SEA AWARD
Secretary Sherman's Exhaustive In
structiOnS TO Ambassador Hay.
BRITISH JUGGLERY EXPOSED
Lord Salisbury Mas Sought 10 Suppress the
Facts as 20 the determination ~
the Seal herds.
BRITISH JCGGLERY EXPOSED

Facts as TO the determination II
the Seal Herds
N"w York. July IA special to the
Tribune from Washington sa}s
lmportan, Instructions have roccntly
been sent by Secretary sherman to Am
btssador Hay Tor hl. guidance IN urging
on Tho Bntish government 70 compliance
with the Behrins s,a award. watch
locked to The prescryn.ion Of sal llfc IN
| Alaskan waters Thr instructions were
| prepared ~ a reply TO recent note from
Lord Salisbury. haHdcd go Secretary
sherman by SIR Julian Pnunccfotc few
days brfore the British Ambassador rail.
"a for London from New York They
show at length EnglsHd's policy Of pro.
crastlnation. her continued failure and
refusal 10 support this government IN IL
efforts TO prevent the determination Of
the seal herd and the anxiety OF the
| Jniicd states frequently made known
to the London foreign Office. that steps
should be- taken TO preserve the seals as
nn obligation Imposed by m. Paris iri.
bunal The Instructions In part are as
follows:
Ills eSccll,ncy. John Hay. London The
British ambassador has handed the a
copy OF q dispatch to him from her maj.
csty' principal secretary Of state for for
rlgn Affairs. which dispatch constitutes
the reply OF the British government TO
the proposals OF the president IN a note
of your embassy for mo,lus ylvcndl
for suspension or all killlng Of seals
Tor the present season ana Tor iclnt
conference OF The powers concerned. with
a view TO the necessary measurrr being
adopted FOR the preservation Of the fur
seals ia the North Paclnc !, viii Dc
seen that both proposals are rejected
= need hardly to say that the prcsidcn,
Is disappointed at this action. especially
when Il is based upon such unsubs,antlal
and inadequate reasons. Tho presidents
colc,rn, IN view OF the depleted condition
of the seal herd, was occaeoncd not
alone from an examination % pr Jor-
dams report OF 1885, and what he had
reason TO suppose We're the conclusions
NJ Prof. Thompson, but 1t was based
upon H series OF observations and statls-
ties covering a much longer period than
that treated by these gentlemen. and
establishing a state OF facts beyond refu-
tation ana which Is In part set forth
in my note 10 the British ambassador
Us the same date OF my cahlegram TO
YOU, II Is therefore quite surprising th9t
her m0icsty's secretary should base his
rejection OF the proposals OF this govern
m,nt, 50 properly presented on the re-
port Of one scicntist, whose facts and
conclusions are incorrectly apprthcnded.
and the delayed report Of another which
is FOR the first time made public concur
rently with the receipt Of his lordship's
note, II would have been gratifying 10
me ana useful to my government In stud
yng this important subject under consid-
Grafton II Prof. Thompson's report could
have been made public with the prompt
ness which marked that Of Dr. Jordan.
In that case there would have been
ample time Tor both governments to have
examined their reports OF these two em-
lnent scientists before the opening OF
another sealing season, But II seems
to have better suited the purposes Of
her maiestys government TO withhold
Prof Thompson's report until an cppor-
tunity was afforded to effect n mine for
that OF Prof. Jordan, and thus enable
the former to pass the latter in review,
cr!ticisets statements, and, as far as
possible, minimize It's conclusions.
1T Ia not pleasant to have 10 state that
the impartial character which II has been
the custom to attribute to the reports
OF naturalists Of high standing has been
greatly impaired by the impatient sub
lection OF this report to the political ex-
lEencies Of the situation. 1t is further
to be regretted that the report was so
long delayed that no opportunity was
afforded this government 10 examine Il
before the definite and final rejection OF
the presidents proposals. based mainly
upon Its conclusions, was communicated
to me This conduct recalls the Incident
which preceded the arbitration at Paris
and which came near rendering that ar
bitratlon abortlve, when similar report
OF a British commission was withheld
until after the case OF each government
was exchanged and the report OF the
commission was made public. Lord sal
lsbury asserts that Dr. Jordans report
does not contain any facts warrantlng
The statement there is depleted con-
dltion and prospective early extinction
OF the herd"
"The note OF your embassy Of the Sth
ult. does not attribute such statement
to DR. Jordan, but It Is difficult to un-
derstand how anyone can read his report
without reaching the conclusion that
such is the real condition of the herd"
Here Secretary Sherman quotes freely
from the report for the purpose of sus-
talning this contention. Continuing. he
says; Prof Thompson's report is plainly