Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-14
BERING SEA SEALS.
Secretary Sherman Replies 10 q Nots
From Lord Salisbury.
THE BRITISH POLICY CRITICISED.
An Earnest APPEAL for Conferences OF
the Interested Powers TO
Solve The Question.

tne lflDuDe elyB important inetfuC-
lions have recently been sent by
Secretary Sherman to Ambassador
Hay for his guidance in urging on
the British government a complia nee
with the provisions OF the Bering ses
awards which looked to the preserva-
ton OF seal life in A Alaskan waters.
The instructions were prepared In re-
ply to recent note Lord Salisbury
handed to Secretary Sherman by 5ir
Julian Psuncsfoie few days before
the British ambassador sailed from
New York for London.
They show at length England's
policy of rsstinntion, her con.
tiuued failure and refusal to support
this government IN its efforts to pre-
vent the extermiuati3u of the seal
herd, and tue onxiely OF the United
Staies, frequently msde known Co the
L)udoD foreign office, that steps
should be taken to preserve tue seGis
acc 1rding to the obligation imposed by
tho Paris tribunal. The Instructions
are In part as follows:
His Exceilency John Hay, etc.,
London.
The British ambassador has handed
me a copy OF o dispatch to him from
her majesty's principal secretary Of
state for foreign affairs, which dis.
patch Constitutes the reply OF the
British government to the proposals OF
the President M presented In a note OF
your embassy for modue viveudi for
a suspension OF all killing OF seals for
the present season, ana for joint
confere nee Of the powers concerned
with view TO the necessary measures
being adopted Tor the preservation OF
the seals Of the Pacific. II will be
seen that both proposals are rejected.
need hardly cay that the Presi.
dent 10 disappointed al this action, anu
especially when it is based upon such
untu Ostantial REASONS. The PresI.
dent's review OF the depleted condi.
ton OF the herds was occssioned not
alone from an examination of Dr.. Jor.
dan'A report OF 1896. ana what ne hal
reason to suppose were the conclusions
OF Prot. Thompson, but 1t was based
upUn q series OF observations and sta
tistics covering much longer period
Than That treated by these gentlemen,
establishing h state VI facts beyond
reiutHtion and which 10 in part set
baseador Of the same date as my cable
gram to you. IL Is therefore quite
surprising that her mPjesty's secretary
should base his rejection of the pro-
pOeais OF this government go impress.
lively presented, upon the report OF one
scientist, whose facts and conclusions
are INCORRECTLY apprehended, AMI the
delayed report OF another, which Is
for the first time made public ooncir.
rently with the receipt OF his lord.
ships note.
1t would have been gratifying to
me, and useful to my government II
Prot. Thompson's report could have
been made public with the
promptness which marked the
appearance OF that OF DR.. Jordan.
In that case there would have been
ample time Tor both governments to
have examined the reports OF those
two eminent scientists before the OPEN
ing OF another sealing season. But 1t
seems to have better suited the puT.
poses OF her majesty's government to
withhold Professor Thompson's report
until an opportunity was aft Jrded to
effect repiyto mine, that OF Professor
Jordan, anu thus to enable the former
to pass The latter in review, criticize
the statements and as far as possible
mi aimlze Its oonclusions.
1t Is not plessant to have to state
that the impRrii character W hich It has
been the custom to attribute TO reports
OF naturalists OF high standing has
bten greatly impaired by the i'm.
patient subsection OF this report to the
political exigencies OF the situation. 1t
10 further to BIO regretted that the re-
port war 60 long delayed that no oppor-
unity was offered this government to
examine II before the definite anu final
rejection OF the Presideni's proposals
oased mainly upon Its conclusions Was
commu nicated 10 me. This cDnuuCt
recalls the incident which precsedeu
the arbitration at Paris, and which
came near rendering that arbitration
abortive, when similar report OF
British commission was withheld un.
til after the case OF each government
was exchanged and the report OF the
American commission vas made
public. LORD Salisbury asserts that
DR., Jordan's report does not contain
any facts warrantiDg the statement
that there 10 q depleted condition OF
the herd.
The note OF your embassy OF the 10th
L.
ment to DR.. Jordan, but 1t 10 difficult
to understDnd how anyone can read
bis report without reaching the COL
clusion that such is tho real condition
OF the herd.
Here Secretary Sherman quotes
freely from the report for the purpose
ofsustaining this contention. Continu.
ing, he sage: Professor hUmpson's
report is plainly written with view to
minimize 80 far as possible the de-
pleted conditions of the herd on Priby-
iofi islands and requires critical
examination not possible within the
limits OF the present instruction but Its
general purpose may be briefly stated.
1t 10 to be regretted that he should
have contracted his study far within
the purvlew OF his Instructions. He
con fined his IL quiry ami refers to the
subordinate subject OF the number OF
seals resorting to the islands AMI psf
tieularIy TO the relative number In
1895 and 1895. The result OF thess oh
servapces aud inquirits seemed to DO
that on some rookeries there was In
crease and others q decrease. DIR.
Jordan has furnished the chapter on
the decline OF the herd, from the
forthcoming final report OF himself
and associates.
Although Professor Thompson has
been very careful throughout the re.
port to ssy nothing likely ~ EN-