Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-05

meeting Of debtors resolving how their
creditors should act, and this would in
spire respect. The true course Is indi-
Gated by the terms Of the program.
which proposes to request the second
Hague conference, where both creditors
and debtors will be assembled, to con-
slider the subject"
Central America
Last June trouble which had existed
for some time between the republics of
Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras
eliminated I'm war-a war which
threatened to be ruinous to the coun-
tries involved and very destructive to
the commercial interests of Americans,
Mexicans and other foreigners, who are
taking an important part In the devel-
opment of these countries. The thor
oughly good understanding which ex-
lists between the United States and
Mexico enabled this government and
that OF Mexico to unite I'm effective
mediation between the warning repub-
lies: which mediation resulted, not
without long continued and patient ef-
fort, i'm bringing about a meeting of
the representatives of the hostile pow
ers on board a United States warship
as neutral territory, and peace was
there concluded; peace which re-
suited In the saving of thousands Of
lives and in the prevention of an In
calculable amount of misery and the
destruction of property and of the
means of livelihood. The Rio confer
ence passed the following resolution in
reference to this action:
THAT the third international Ameri-
can conference shall address to the
presidents of the United States Of
America and of the United States Of
Mexico a note in which the conference
which is being held at Rio express its
satisfaction at the happy results of
their mediation for the celebration OF
peace between the republics of Guate-
mala. Honduras and Salvador"
This affords an excellent example of
one way in which the influence of the
United States can properly be exer-
cised for the benefit of the peoples of
the western hemisphere; that is, by
action taken in concert with other
American republics and therefore free
from those suspicious and prejudices
which might attach If the action were
taken by one alone. In this way 1t i5
possible to exercise a powerful infiu-
ence toward the substitution of con-
siderate action in the spirit of JUS
tice for the insurrectionary or inter-
ternational violence which has hitherto
been so great hindrance to the de-
velopment of many of our neighbors.
Repeated examples of united action by
several or many American republics
in favor of peace by urging cool and
reasonable, instead of excited and bel
ligerent, treatment of international
controversies, cannot fail to promote
the growth of a general public opinion
among the American nations which
will elevate the standards of interna-
tional action, strengthen the sense of
international duty among governments
and tell in favor of the peace of man.
kind.
Panama Trip
1 have just returned from a trip to
Panama and shall report to you at
length later on the whole subject OF
the Panama canal.
The Algeciras Convention
The Algeciras convention, which was
signed by the United States as well as
by most of the powers of Europe, su-
persedes the previous convention Of
1880, which was also signed both by
the United States and a majority of
the European powers. This treatey con-
ferS upon us equal commercial rights
with all European countries and does
not entail a single obligation of any
kind upon us, and I earnestly hope it
may be speedily ratified. To refuse to
forfeited our commercial rights in
Morocco and would not achieve another
object of any kind. In the event of
such refusal we would be left for the
first time in a hundred and twenty
years without any commercial treaty
with Morocco; and this at time when
we are everywhere seeking new mar
kets and outlets for trade.
Fur Seals
The destruction of the Pribilof
islands fur seals by pelagic sealing still
continues. The herd which, according
to the surveys made in 1874 by direc-
ton of the congress, numbered 4,700,-
900, and which, according to the sur
vey of both American and Canadian
commissioners in 1891, amounted to
| !, 900 000 has now been reduced to about
100000. This result has been brought
about by Canadian and some other
sealing vessels killing the famale seals
while In the water during their annual
pilgrimage to and from the south or
| in search of food. AS a rule the
| female seal when killed is pregnant,
and also has an unweaned pup on land,
SO that, for each skin taken by pelagic
sealing, as a rule, three lives are de-
stroyed-the mother, the unborn off
spring and the nursing pup, which is
| left to starve to death. No damage
whatever is done to the herd by the
carefully regulated killing on land; the
custom of pelagic sealing is solely re-
sponsible for all of the present evil,
and is alike indefensible from the eco
: nomic standpoint and from the stand
point of humanity.
In 1896 over 10000 young seals were
found dead from starvation on the
Pribilof islands. In 1897 1t was estl-
mated that since pelagic sealing began
upward of 100000 adult female seals
had been killed at sea, and over 300,-
900 young seals had died of starvation
as the result. The revolving barbarity
of such practice, as well as the waste
full destruction which it involves, needs
no demonstration and Is its own con-
demnation. The Bering sea tribunal
which sat in Paris in 1898, and which
decided against the claims of the
United States to exclusive jurisdiction
in the waters of Bering sea and to a
property right in the fur seals when
outside the three mile limit, deter
mined also upon certain regulations
which the tribunal considered suffi-
cient for the proper protection and
preservation of the fur seal in, or
habitally resorting to- the Bering sea,