The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-07
CANADA WILL QUIT.
Ready to Abandon Pelagic Sealing
for Consideration.

for Consideration.
New York. Sept. IA dispatch to
the Press from Ottawa, says:
Next Tuesday series of cabinet
councils will begin here at which the
work so far done at the Quebec inter
national conference will be reviewed
and decisions taken on the issues de-
velOped.
The statement made some time ago
that the British ministers would go in
to the conference prepared to settle the
peIagic sealing question in favor of the
united states contention, conditioned
on a fair indemnity being paid to the
sealers, has been officially confirmed. It
remains with the American commits
siOners to decide whether the surrender
of Canadas rights under the treaty of
Paris of 1898, to pelagic sealing is worth
the amount at which the cessiOn is val
ued, $744, 600. 1t has to be recognized
that, so far as the government of Can
ada is concerned, there is no choice in
the matter of compensation.
AS previously stated, there are So seal
erS engaged in the trade, with a ton
mage of 3.712 representing so much act
ual capital invested and proportionate
revenue, the number of persons depend
ing directly or indirectly upon the trade
being fully 10000. If the United States
commissioners refuse to admit the
claim and amount of compensation there
is an end of the matter and pelagic
sealing must go on to the end, unless
Canada or Great Britain compensate
the sealers themselves. In view of the
possibility of the United States declin-
ing to paw for the surrender of the
sealers' rights. the above alternative
has now to be fully considered by the
British and Canadian commissions 1t
is violating no secret to say that it is
generally understood that alternative
was prOspectively submitted to Down
ing street as a likely contingency some
time before the conference began and
that Great Britain showed no DISPOSE
ton to pay the sealers the sum de-
manded or anything at all. Public
opinion, which in Canada would be
highly sensitive to concessions under
pressure exercised by a sovereign pow
er fully conscious of superior material
advantages, will not consent to the
sealers being paid out of the public
cheSt for the surrender of an undOubted
right without some sort of SetOff
The only possible solution if the Uni
ted States commissioners should def
initely refuse these vested rights
would be such concessions to Canada in
other directions as Canada might be
able to accept of equal value to money
payment of the amount demanded. 1t
is doubtful if Canada undertook to
furnish the money to pay off the seal
ers in consideration of compromising
concessions by the United States in
other matters whether a settlement
could be effected for any smaller sum
than above stated. This is one of the
ttcklish points on which ministers will
have to make up their minds definitely
on next Thursday.
Another point on which some ap-
prOach has been made by the commits
sioners to an understanding of the pos
sibilities of the situation and of one
anOthers' views, is reciprocity At the
opening the attempt to feel the way
must have been something like cropping
for an object in the dark; but the road
has been to a great extent cleared and
the representatives of all three coun-
tries begin to see glimpses of practical
bic solutions. Canada must abandon
the hope of any concessions from the
United States which shown hV
overwhelming proof to be fully bal
anced by compensatory concessions
from Canada to the great republic
If Canada expects to improve her
trade with the United States in any of
the leading products of the dominion.
it is realized now that she will have to
offer equivalents to the United States
in manufactured goods and agricul-
tural products, no matter whether the
former interferes with the British pre-
ferentials or not.
The vigor with which the United
States commissioners have presented
these views to the Canadian represen-
tatives may be judged from the leading
headline in the organ of the ministerial
party here to a summary of the work
so far accomplished. Short and to the
point, it was Americans want the
earth Three fOurths of the Canadian
press take press services which include
headlines as well as matter and one of
these services describes the situation in
headlines as follows:
Very hard to satisfy: Americans
want to get everything and give moth
ing; not willing to take the duty off
lumber; while clamOring for liberty to
raft logs; no tariff changes wanted;
our fish must stay out"
Before adjournment sub committees
were appointed to collect data relating
to the various leading issues on which
the commissioners had exchanged
views. These will be ready for the re- |
a SSRT0 bling on SanfeTO her