The San Francisco call., 1905-01-31
THE AMERICAN SEALERS.

THE Portland Oregonian and the Seattle papers edoray de-
fend the American seaer against the attack made them in
because of its legal and international The statutes
Of Congress passed to protect the seals the Poo Islands
Beng Sea forbade peagc sealing under the
of the United States Long after that became the law Mr. Blaine
conceived the doctrine that Beng closed and was all
jurisdiction line drawn from the mainland
TO the extremity of the Aeuan archipelago and that west OF that
line the Siberian the closed and under the exclusive
jurisdiction Immediately upon this Interpretation of
State Department. began Selling and conscang all fishing and
hunting Ships side and Russia hers Our
Government seized and nterered with large number of American
ships that had been cleared from San Francisco Astoria and Puget
Sound number Of British ships that cleared
from Victoria Russia confcated American and British ships also
Great Britain protested these seizures and after long dipo
matte exchanges the United States made treaty OF arbitration with
her. under which international arbta court arranged and
closed sea- Russia joined with us IN the contention that IT was
causu After long and interesting hearing the abators
Russia and the United States extends only three miles from their
secve shores This made Government Liable to Great Britain
Britain and for made by her. We then made
protocol Great Britain for the creation of judicial arbitration
This arba court sat at Victoria c. the seat OF the British
sealing industry The senior counsel of the United States before
that Hon. Don NJ Dickinson O. Detroit. The British
claims filed amounted nearly $2oooooo Mr. Dickinson found
ery by which put upon the British
testimony In this the American seaers whose property
and volunteered Their expert testimony on the value If the British
ships They dd this personal risk for the feeling Victoria
bitter them that they the victims Of attacks and
assaults But they bave stood their ground and their testimony
scaled the British claims down something less than $4,000 for
which the cour Judgment and the United States paid it.
Then the United States demanded pay Russia for the Amer
ships she had sezd and that demand arbtrated by Dr.
ser in the hague large Judgment which Rus
paid Great Britain then demanded indemnity from Russia
the of British ships and this paid by diplomatic
nen without an international court
been already closed and liability decided Victoria and the Hague
This left all of the despoed seaers compensated for their losses
cep Americans had depoiled by their
Mr. Dickinson his final official report Government
the Victoria arbitration stated the rendered their
country the American seaers whose testimony had largely
reduced the British cms and asked for them justice and
their Government OF their
ery The obligation compensate them clearly legal Their
had seized destroyed and need with their property
legal poor men,
all of them pning poverty through the confcaton of their
property had also their Government under moral obligation
indemnify them by coming witnesses Vic
thereby saving million dollars
Mr. Dickinson presented their Congress- refusing
and acting solely the moral obligation he
which appealed his honor The bill fof their relief proposed that
the Circuit Court of the United States San take equity
Jurisdiction hear their and determine what any, relief is
rendering therefor
preparation by Congress. This BILL after
ported favoraby by the Judiciary Committee of the House. and
the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate has fuy
under discussion all of this month.
AS the of Portland and Puget Sound has bill
has been bitterly opposed by Senator Dover who by vicious
acks the sealers Mr. Dickinson
affords relief at all to these who the assistance
of their Government after had despoied them The Senator's
tack Mr. Dickinson has been especially vicious untruhf
1t distorted OF and libel
private the Senate where he has privilege
reply attack has influenced the
of Senate that body willing to
its mistake The position of Senator Doiver puts this
Government of the Latin American states which de-
spoil their citizens with impunty while they compelled bv
nationals countries for
similar spoliatons.
majority of these suffering Francisco they
California sailors they from here their
Government Victoria and Senator Dolver proposes bill
shall send them the Court of Claims Washington where their
them from going and that shall be
the right any judgment is fanta
cruelty and injustice that has rival outside Domingo
and Haiti.
A MORMON Def /