The record-union., 1897-10-15
PROTECTION OF
The FUR SEAL.
Russia Takes an Advanced Position
in Preserving the Herds.
Has More Stringent Laws Than Any Other
Interested.
No Other Than the Inhabitants OF
an Island Can Take Seals With
in a Zone of Thirty Miles, and
Russians Themselves Are Per-
mitted to Kill Only Bachelor
Seals

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-AlthOugh
formal conferences on the Behring Sea
question will not open until after the
arrival of the Japanese delegates, yet
the presence here of two of the Rus
sian delegates has permitted the au-
thoritieS to inform themselves quite
thoroughly as to the attitude of Rus
sia on the protection of the seals. 1t
has brought out the fact that Russia
takes an advanced position in preserv-
ing the herds, and had more stringent
laws and regulations in that direction
than any of the other countries inter
ested
By the Russian system zone of thir-
ty miles is established around the seal
islands belonging to the empire. The
seals found within these zones are re-
garded as exclusively Russian, and no
other than the inha abitants of the island
can take a seal within these limits. This
gives the Russian citizens exclusive
rights over the seals not only on the
islands, but extending thirty miles sea-
ward.
A British or Japanese sealer cannot
operate within the zone except to buy
skins of the Russian inhabitants of
the islands. The Russians themselves
are permitted to kill only bachelor seals.
it being against strict regulations to
kill female or pup seals. The females
are guarded with special care, as the
killing of one female is regarded as
equivalent to killing three seals. name
ly, the female herself. her pup on land
and her unborn pup.
The Russians see that these regula
tions are enforced. A fleet of Govern
ment ships patrol the thirtymile zone,
and any foreign sealer who attempts
to operate within these limits is seized.
AS a rule, these seized sealers are taken
to Vladivostock, their catch confiscated
and punishment inflicted. This ha. led
to many protests, but Russia has main
tanned thus far her rigid regulations
against foreigners within the thirty
mile zone. In one notable case the ship
Dahlia, cleared by United States
Consular officer, but manned by Jap
anese crew, attempted to take seals on
the Russian islands. They were met
with armed resistance, and several of
the Japanese were killed. Claims for
indemnity were made against Russia,
but never paid, as the imperial author
tiles maintained their right to protect
their property against invasion.
1t is understood to be the wish Of
Russia in the forthcoming conference
not to stop at the protective regula-
tions already made, but to carry them
further by increasing the width Of the
zone considerably beyond thirty miles.
The Russian authorities have found by
experience that many of the female
seals go more than thirty miles to sea
in search of food. The wish is to make
the zone so wide that it will extend to
the furthest point to which the females
go for food.
SHERMAN CRITICISED.
LONDON, Oct. 14-The afternoon
newspapers to-day take the same views
Of Secretary Sherman's latest dispatch
to the Marquis of Salisbury on the seal
ing conference questions as expressed
by the morning papers.
The est. James Gazette saws: "Tt
will be a relief if this transatlantic
Polonious is restricted in the future to
playing the fool in his own homo. and
tHO II e1Id1lS VI Ills country are
transferred into more capable hands.
But we need not count upon this too
coidentially. We ourselves allowed an
elderly statesman to play tricks in the
national game with national interests
for many long year.
The ''St. James Gazette" taunts Her
bert Gladstone with copying Secretary
Sherman's manner in a speech yester-
day evening, in which Mr. Gladstone
said that the Venezuelan question
would not have been peaceably settled
if there had been no United States con-
cerned, adding that in the latter case
'our ironclads would have been sent
there. and our troops would have made
short work of the Venezuelan question.
But the United States appeared on the
scene, and the wiles of arbitration be-
came obviously apparent"