Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-09
NO APOLOGY DUE
FROM UNCLE SAM
KILLING or JAPANESE SAID TO
BE JUSTIFIED
Men Who shot Seals Close to Alaskan
Shores Declared to Have Been
Regarded as Ordinary
Burglars
Nv Associated Press.


WASHINGTON, Aug. s.-Actlng Sec
retary of State Bacon has sent to Am-
bassador Wright at Toxic the sub
stance of the dispatch received by the
department Of commerce and labor
from Solicitor Sims at Sitka, Alaska,
regarding the killing of japanese fish
crmen on 81. Pauls island.
In sending the dispatch the acting
secretary states that il is forwarded
for the purpose Of giving such Informal
ton as this government has of re-
grettable incident, news of which may
reach Japan In distorted forms.
There is no intention of offering an
apology or any further regret than IS
contained in this dispatch. as the state
department regards the Japanese fish
ermen as poachers If they were within
the three-mle limit and the dispatch
from Mr.. Sims emphasized this fact.
1t is stated that American fishermen
in Newfoundland waters, If within the
three-mle limit would be subject to
arrest by the British authorities and
would have no redress, as they would
be poachers, the same as the Japanese
who were killed on st. PauPs island.
The following contains the main fea-
lures of the dispatch Solicitor Sims
sent to the department. of commerce
Acting Secretary Bacon to Ambassa-
dor Wright at Toxic.
Details of Shooting
Fur seal rookeries, st. Paul's island,
were raided by crews of Japanese
schooners July 16 and II. About 200
seals were killed, but raiders were
eventually repulsed as result OF the
courageous action of Chief Agent
a.,,I1txatr and A OF n r1f Agent .Tn0QA
at the head of navigation.
Five raiders were killed and twelve
captured, two of the latter being badly
wounded. Three boats and some small
arms were also captured, but the force
protecting the rookeries suffered no
casualties.
'tThe schooners were first observed on
July 16, and were close to shore, easily
within the three-mile limit. On this
day boats crew of six men who had
landed at Northeast point were sur
prised and captured by Agent Lembkey
and native guards without casualties
on either side
''On the morning of July II two native
watchmen shot and killed two and
wounded one of an armed landing
party. The schooners' crew, under
protection of dense fog, shot seals in
water close to shore most of the day.
could be easily heard from shore, was
frequent. 1t is unknown how many
seals were killed in this manner, but
the number must have been consider
able.
Pregnant Seals Killed
ION the evening of the same day
crews of at least three schooners made
concerted raids on widely separated
rookeries. A raid on the zapand rool-
cries was repulsed by native guards
after considerable firing. A raid on
Northeast point was partially success
fui. Owing to the dense fog the raid
ers were not discovered until nearly
200 seals had been killed.
This raid, which was apparently
participated in by an entire ships crew
of five boats, was repulsed by Agent S
Lembkey, Judge and the native force
only. and three of the raiders were
killed and five captured. Most of the
seals killed on shore by the raiders
We're pregnant females or with nursing
young a few days old, which died of
starvation. A large proportion of those
killed in the water We're also females
in search of food for their young. Some
of the raiders taken state they are
from the schooner Toyai-Maru No. 2.
and one Of the captured boats bears
this number.
DurlnS the IlI1le was on the 1SIand
schooners were frequently sighted less
than three miles from shore. 1t is evil
dent that at least eight on ten schoon-
ers, believed to be japanese, are sailing
in close proximity to the islands. The
twelve prisoners We're taken on the
cutter McCulloch to Kodiak, and after
hearing before the commander were
held before a jury and taken in charge
by the marshal"
The Japanese charge, Mr.. Niyaoka,
called at the state department this
morning for information about the
killing of the Japanese He had re-
ceived no dispatches from his govern
ment concerning the affair and Acting
Secretary Bacon gave him the same
information which was sent to Ambas-
sador Wright
Same offense as Burglary
Seals are recognized as property by
international law, and the Japanese
killed by American officers off st.
Pauls island stand in the same posi-
tion as burglars shot in the act OF
stealing, according to prominent au-
thorities on international law.
No International incident can arise