The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-15
THE FUR SEAL CONTROVERSY.
SHERMAN THE SPORT OF LON
DON NEWSPAPERS.
Resurrect An Old Character In Ham
let to Illustrate His Incapable
ity In Foreign Affairs.

London, Oct 14.-The afternoon news
papers today take the same views of
Secretary Sherman's latest dispatch to
the Marquis of Salisbury on the seal
ing conference question as expressed by
the morning papers. The St James Ga
zette says:
at will be a relief if this trans-At-
lantic Polontus is restricted in the fu-
ture to playing the fool in his own
home and the foreign affairs of his
own country are transferred into more
capable hands. But we need not count
upon this too confidently We, our
selves, allowed an elderly statesman
to play tricks in the national name
with national interests for many a long
year"
The St James Gazette taunts Mr.
Herbert Gladstone with copying Sec
rotary Sherman's manner in speech
yesterday evening. in which Mr.. Glad
stone said that the Venezuelan ques-
ton would not have been peacefully
settled if there had not been United
States concerned, adding in the lat
ter case, "our fronclads would have
been sent there and our troops would
have made short work of the VeneZue-
Ian question. But the United States
appeared on the scene and the wiles OF
an arbitration became obviously ap-
parent"
Washington. Oct 14-AIthough for
NAL conferences on the Boring 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
STA on the protection of the seals. It
has brought out the fact that Russia
takes an advanced position in preserV-
ing herds and has more stringent laws
and regulations in that direction than
any of the other countries interested.
By the Russian system a zone of 30
miles is established around the seal is
lands belonging to the empire. The
seals found within these zones are re
garded as exclusively Russian. and no
one other than the Inhabitants of the
islands can take a seal within these
limits. This gives the Russian citizens
exclusive rights over the seals, not
only on the islands, but extending 80
miles seaward A British or Japanese
! sealer cannot operate within the zone,
except to buy skins of the Russian in
habitants of the islands. The Russians
themselves are permitted
TO KILL ONLY BACHELOR SEALS,
it being against strict regulations to
kill females or pup seals. The females
are guarded with special care, as kill
ing one female is regarded as equiva-
lent to killing three seals, namely, the
| female herself, her pup on land and
her unborn pup.
The Russians see that these regula-
| tons are enforced A fleet of govern
ment ships patrol the 80 mile zone and
| any foreign sealer who attempts to OPP
crate within these limits is seized.
| AS rule the seized sealers are taken
| to YIadivostock, their catch confscated
| and punishment inflicted. This has led
| to many protests but Russia has main
! tanned thus far her rigid regulations
| against foreigners within the 80 mile
zone. In one notable case, the ship
! Dahlia, cleared by United States con-
! sular officer, but manned with Jap
/ anese crew, attempted to take seals on
the Russian Islands. They were
NET WITH ARMED RESISTANCE
and several of the Japanese were kill
! ed. Claims for indemnity were made
! against Russia, but never paid, as the
| imperial authorities maintained their
right to protect their property against
| invasion.
! 1t is understood to be the wish of
| Russia, in the forthcoming conference,
I tons already made. but to carry them
| further by increasing the width of the
zone considered beyond 80 miles. The
Russian authorities have found by ex-
| perience that many of the female seals
| go more than 80 miles to sea in search
! of food. The wish is to make the zone
/ so wide that it will extend to the fur
( thest point to which the females so
| for food.