The Indianapolis journal., 1897-04-16
THE BEkING SEA DISPUTE.


The comments of the London press on
what they call 1.-The reopening" of the Ber-
ing sea dispute show about equal parts
of ignorance and British gall. The ST.
James Gazette says THE United States has
inflicted another blow on the believers in
arbitration" while the Pail Mall Gazette
says it is another lesson of the weakness
Of the arbitration" The Globe. a minister
ial organ. says Lord Salisbury will
doubtedly refuse to reopen the Berng sea
question until the stipulated date and until
Canada's claims are satisfied" These CON-
merits imply that the United States is try
ing to reopen a question settled by arbi-
tration. that it has already violated the
award, and that Great Britain is being very
unfairly treated. The truth is that the re-
opening of the question is due to the per-
sistent violation of the award by British
or Canadian vessels and to the efforts of
the United States 20 enforce Il. The Bering
sea tribunal which sat in Paris in 1893
gave exhaustive consideration to every
phase of the Bering sea dispute as it then
existed. The award rendered Aug. 10, 1898,
showed that the commission was convinced
of the inhumanity and destructiveness of
the common practice of pelagic sealing.
killing seals in the open sea. 1t prohibited
miles around the Pribilof islands; estab-
lished a close season in the waters of the
North Pacific ocean and Bering sea. ex-
tending from May l to July 81 provided
that none but sailing vessels may engage
in seal taking in the open season, and pro-
hbited the of nets, firearms explo-
sives. excepting shotguns used outside of
Bering sea in the open season. 1t was made
the duty of the United States and England
to take measures to enforce these pro-
visions. The arbitrators added to the gen
eral award the following declaration:
In view of the critical condition to which
IL appears certain that the race of fur
seals is now reduced in consequence of cir
cumStances not fully known, the arbitra-
tors think fit to recommend both govern
ments to come to an understanding in
order to prohibit any killing of fur seals.
either on land or at sea. for period of
two or three years. or at least one year,
ernments might think proper TO admit.
Legislation for the enforcement of the
protective regulations recommended by the
award was enacted by both the United
States and Great Britain. and they were
enforced with a reasonable degree of strict
ness until last year, when Great Britain
refused TO renew the regulation requiring
British vessels going into the seal waters
to place their firearms under seal to give
effect the Paris award prohibiting the
use of such weapons in killing seal This
action of the British government was due
mainly 10 Canadian sealers, which have
been the chief of all the trouble.
They protested loudly against being re-
quired to put their firearms under seal al
though this was simply rigid enforcement
of the Paris award. The Canadian sealers
having refused to seal up their arms and
the British government having refused to
renew the regulation requiring it to be done
the United States government adopted the
plan of making a thorough search of every
sealing vessel in Bering sea, British. as we'll
as American This seemed TO be the only
way TO give effect to the Paris award and
protect the seals from determination. but
in the absence of any agreement between
the two governments TO that effect il was
pretty sure to lead TO further trouble. Eng
land is not used TO having her ships stopped
and searched on the high seas under any
pretext. Yet during one season twenty-five
British vessels in Bering sea were searched
by United States steam revenue cutters.
OF course. the British government pro-
tested against this. and pretty sharp dip
lomatic correspondence ensued without any
6
definite conclusion being reached. And that
is about the state of the case at present
England has refused TO renew the regula-
ton for sealing up firearms and denies the
right of the United States TO search British
vessels. This action has practically nullifed
the Paris award, To which. indeed, Great
Britain showed hostility from the first