The herald., 1897-07-06
Said to Threaten Serious
Complications
CORRESPONDENTS GLASSES
MAKE MOLE HILLS APPEAR AS
MOUNTAINS
No Jingoism Is Intended and the
United States Contemplates
No Change of Policy
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
| CHICAGO. July 5.-A special to the
Times Herald from Washington says:
President Mckinley has sent dispatch
to the Marquis of Salisbury, the British
Premier and Secretary of State for For
eign Affairs, which will probably cause
that nobleman as much perturbation Of
spirit as did Secretary Olney's dispatch
of July 20, 1895, in which England was
automatically but firmly told that che
dispute.
The present dispatch will doubtless be
regarded in England as offensive in
tone and manner and its publication will
probably cause a display Of feeling
across the water, but in the United
States Mr.. McKinley's course will doubt
less be warmly approved.
The latest diplomatic fencing between
the two countries arises out Of the long
standing fur seal controversy. 1t will
be remembered that after this country
had asserted exclusive jurisdiction to
the waters of Bering Sea and Great
Britain had resisted this contention the
matter was referred to a tribunal of ar
bitration which sat in Paris. That
tribunal decided against the United
States so far as it related to its conten-
ton of exclusive jurisdiction, decided
that certain seizures of British sealers
made by the American patrol fleet were
| illegal and awarded damages to
owners of those vessels, the amount to
be determined later by sufficient proof,
and made certain regulations for the
preservation of seal herds and the pre-
vention of illegal sealing which were to
be jointly enforced by the United States
and Great Britain. The United States
on its part proceeded in the fullest spirit
and letter of the law to prevent pelagic
sealing, but England, it is asserted, has
not lived up to its agreement and inti-
nation to that effect Is now conveyed
to the British Government by order of
President Mckinley. In the course of
few days. perhaps early this week, the
President will transmit to Congress a
batch of correspondence bearing on this
| question which has recently passed be-
| tween the two governments The cor
respondence Is somewhat voluminous
the most important dispatch bearing
date of May 10th, last, and being in the
form of an instruction from Secretary of
State Sherman to Col. John Hay, our
ambassador in London, a copy Of which
Col. Hay was directed to leave with
Lord Salisbury.
In this instruction, which covers six
or eight pages of the usual State De-
partment size, the efforts made by the
United States and Great Britain to car
ry out the terms of the Paris award
are reviewed at length and while it is
claimed that this country has lived up
to the terms of the findings of that
tribunal, the insinuation is made that
Great Britain has been guilty of bad
faith.
The dispatch is nominally signed by
Mr. Sherman as Secretary of State, but
as matter of fact it Is the joint work
of eX-Secretary of State John w. Fos-
ter the special seal ambassador, and
ex-Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury
Charles S. Hamln, the special seal
commissioner. 1t received the sanction
and approval of President Mckinley be-
fore it was permitted to leave the State
Department.
Although the dispatch was received
by Lord Salisbury early in May, with
the exception Of a formal acknowledge
ment of it's receipt no answer has yet
been made by the Foreign Office.
ENGLAND INCREDULOUS
LONDON, July 5.-The statements of
the Washington correspondent of the
Daily Chronicle to the effect that corre-
spondence is about to be submitted to
congress regarding Bering sea matters
which will cause resentment in Great
Britain charging bad faith in carry
ing out of the terms of the award, ETC.,
are discredited here in diplomatic circles.
Previous to the jubilee celebrations
United States Ambassador Hay gave
the Marquis of Salisbury a strong pre-
sentation Of the case from the stand
point of the United States, but it Is
added throughout the entire correspond
ence there was nothing to offend Great
Britain and there have been no COM
munications on the subject since the
jubilee.
1t is understood the Canadian premier,
Sir Wilfred Laurier, has conferred with
the British government on the zeal ques-
ton. The interests of Canada are op-
posed to restrictions being placed on
sealing, and as Great Britain is now
cultivating the good will of her colonies
this policy may render it more difficult
for the United States to secure an agree
ment on the subject.
NO CHANGE OF POLICY
WASHINGTON, July 5.-The fact
that the state department is prepar-
ing for transmission to congress the cor
respondence that it has had since the
Bering sea seal fisheries appears to have
been construed in some quarters and by
the London Chronicle as an indication
of a purpose on the part of our govern
ment to make a radical change in its
policy in the treatment of that long
standing diplomatic iseue, and to seize
on this opposition to announce It's adop-
tion Of "bold American policy" The
truth is that this particular correspond
ence was called for by congress weeks
ago and has been delayed in transmits
sion principally because Mr.. Foster. who