Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-02
THE BRITISH BLUE BOOK
Scanned With Interest by Government
officials
Correspondence With England Re-
gnrdipg the Seals-Consent to
the Conferences.

The British blue book on tine Bering sea
was received here today, and was scanned
with great interest by the few officials to
whom it became available, owing TO the
controversy on the subject, in which not
Cnly this country and Great Britain, but
also Russia and Japan, have taken part.
The volume covers 130 large printed pages,
and is apparently exhaustive of the cor
respondence, beginning with Sir Julian
Pauncefotes letter to the Earl of KIM
berly of January is, 1895, and closing
with dispatch from the foreign office to
Mr.. Adams, the charge d'affaires at Wash
ington, July 30. The cable reports from
London that Secretary Shernan's letter to
Ambassador Hay had been printed only in
part, the alleged discourteous portions be-
ing omitted, proves to be incorrect, as
the letter is given in the blue book in full.
There appears to be no answer to this
letter from the Marquis of Salisbury, except
brief note to Col. Hay, much in the ma
ture OF an acknowledgment, and briefly stat
ing the terms on which conference would
be held at Washington, adding that other
portions Of Mr.. Sherman's dispatch had
been sufficiently answered in the past, in
so far as they required any reply.
Particular attention is directed to Lord
Salisbury's closing letter. as defining the
scope of the coming conference at Washing
ton, about which much controversy and
criticism has arisen both sides of the
water. This acknowledges Col. Hays let
ter, in which wish is expressed for a
conference of "the powers interested in
the fur-seal fisheries of the North Pacific.
Lord Sallsbury's reply is as follows:
In reply l have to state that her maj
estyS government is Willing to agree to a
meeting of experts nominated by Great
Britain and Canada and by the United
States in October next, when the further
Investigations to be made on the islands
during the present season will have been
concluded. The object of the meeting
would be to arrive, If possible, at correct
conclusions concerning the numbers, con-
ditions and habits of the seals frequent
ing the Pribylof Islands at the present
time as compared with the several seasons
previous and subsequent to the Paris
award 1t seems to her majestys govern
nent that Washington would be the most
suitable place for such meeting
This is said to define the limits of the
conference far as the British govern
E,ent agreed to it, and to he the only agree
ment entered into as to a conference at
Washington. AS ii mentions Colonel Hay S
wish for conference of 'the powers inter-
ested' and replies that her majestys gov
eminent is willing to agree to a meeting
of experts naminated by Great Britain
and CaEada and by the United States in
October next, there is apparently an i'm
piled exclusion of Russia and Japan, as re-
ferred to by Colonel Hays mention of 1.-The
powers interested"
The blLe book closes before the receipt
of Col. Hays letter stating that the Presl-
dent hoped that representatives of Russia
ard Japan would be present at the confer
ence.
Prominence is also given to the dis
patches between this government and the
foreign office as to the regulations under
which British and Canadian sealing vessels
shall pursue their vocation. In brief. these
show that the British government agreed
to revive for the present season the ar
rangement of 1894 as to sealing up fire
arms. This made it optional with masters
of vessels to have firearms sealed up by
United States or British naval officers,
whose certificate operated as safeguard
to them in case of subsequent seizure the
scaling up being prima facie evidence that
the arms were not in use. The United
States pressed that this agreement should
be extended. making the United States reg
ulauons binding instead of optional Lord
Salisbury's concluding dispatch on this
subject expresses regret at declining to ac-
ccpt the proposal that United States regu-
lations shall apply to British vessels, and
adding that British regulations, deemed to
be sufficient, have been issued