The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-31
ELLI0TT'S HOT LETTER
Sensational Letter Relating TO the Berlng
Sea Seal Fisheries Question.
JOHN W. FOSTER, SEVERELY ROASTED
Tho Ex.Sccrotnry Charged with Flag.
farizins tho ModUs Ntvcndi =
rant-NOt an Intelligent Man In
Charge of the Matter at Amy Time.
Cleveland, O., July 3o,1sa7-

NiSfSiohdb S't ouiS opb-s-H~'S
Prof. W. Elliott, Of the Smithsonian
institution, tonight gave out the com
plete text Of his recent sensational let
Ter to Judge Day, Assistant Secretary OF
State. regarding the seal fisheries. 1t Ia
as follows:
Lakewood Near Cleveland, o., July Is.
Hon. w. r. Day, Assistant Secretary of
State. Washington:
Dear Sir:-In the morning Recorder OF
this city appears the text OF IL letter
to Lord Salisbury, dated May 10, 1897,
and signed by John Sherman. Secretary
OF State, on the fur seal question. This
letter Is prefaccd by an account of the
great embarrassment which its pubIica-
tion has caused the President. and that
1t has been held up for several days ut
the request OF John w. Foster, who now
fears the effect Of his own work few
weeks earlier.
InaSmuch aS [ have n closer personal
knowledge of this present question than
any other man living and vastly more
extended. and inasmuch as am the au-
Thor of the moduS vivendi OF 1891 -'9a,
which Is the only creditahle step taken
oy our Government towards settling this
seal dispute since II began In 1890. up to
date. desire to say that after Il care
ful Derusal OF this letter of May 10th,
above cited, the President has reason
In feel greatly embarrassed. because Il
laws the State Department open to n
crushing reply from those not OF the
Canadian office, and you will be in the
same moriifyrng fix that Ilain found
himself in during 1890, when the Cana
dams simply crushed his contia bones
mores letter by the data, which they
promptly furnished In rehuttal.
Inexperienced and ignorant men
should not write such letters dealing
Il ia p1 ,t.I Il.
more than so many parrots. John w
Foster is utterly ignorant of the truth
In regard to the salient features of this
seal question, on the islands; that letter
OF May 10th Is like all other prcparat ions
from his hand on this subject, full Of
gross errors. His dullnesS in making
up the American case IN 1S92-'93 cost
us that shameful and humiiatihg de-
feat which we met with at Paris In 1893.
Had he been bright and quick -wittcd.
he never would have met with such
disaster. Taking this commonplace man
up now after this record Of hat failure Is
stamped all over his anatomy and put
ting him in charge of your sealing ques-
non Will thrust you deeper Into the
mire than he and your predecessors
have been placed before by the bright
men over the line at ottawa.
l. am moved to write you on this
point because O Senator of the United
States recently said 10 me that Foster
had assured the President that the In
formation which l gave the British In
1880 caused the defeat of the American
case a Paris In 1893 The meanness md
untruth OF this charge will be quickly
seen by your turning 10 my report OF
November II, 1880. which contains this
information. MIR. Foster and his stu
Did associates tried to suppress this re-
port because it contained the proof of
my authorship OF the mOdus vivcndi of
1891! which he mclnly stole from
me-rla Eiar!Zcd in fact--Dut he was un-
able to suppress It, Ana now that he
comes forward again to figure in this
question. ! intend hc shall be required
MT the proper time and before the prouci'
tribunal. TO give n fun account of his
wretched record as the agent OF the
United states before the Bchring Sea
tribunal at Paris in 1893.
This whole sealing business from the
dav the trouble began in 1S90-'9l up to
date has not been in the hands of n
competent man for one moment. 1t has
been and is now the sport of the Cana
dians. and The languid contempt of the
British Queens councils, is all that it
receives when it comes up there.
Very truly yours.
HENRY w. ELLIOTT.