New-York tribune., 1909-11-04
TO PROTECT SEALS
NAY BE NEW LEASE.
Hope for Agreement to Stop
Pclagic Sealing.
TFrora q lr.eune srreau.

II rom me Ir-cuue Bureau
Washington. Nov. 5.-ProposaIs will be
invited this winter by the Secretary of
Commerce and Labor fo- leasing for twen-
= years the right "a take sealskins from
the islands OF 81 George and st Paul The
present lease with the North American
Commercial Company, OF san Francisco
vas made in 1890 and win expire in April
Since 1879 this government has leased. n
t~enty-yea- periods the right 10 take seal
skins from these islands. The first lessee
from $50 TO 1880, vas the Alaska CONNER
ciaI Company.
Conditions for the protection Of seals on
the Pribylov Islands are not so satisfactory
- he government officials desire. This is
due largely to pelagic sealers. principally
japanese poacherS. a movement has again
been started 10 take Up the question Of pro-
fecttnS TIE Alaskan seal herd more effect
ively, md the United States. Great Britain
ana Japan NAV. come 10 an understanding
which viii accomplish this result. Hereto
Scre Japan's indifference has been great
hindrsuce 70 those who desired that condi-
fions be improved.
The little islands % St Paul and ST
George, IN the Bering Sea, three hundrea
miles from the nearest mainland of .AlasAa.
sre TIE breeding homes of the largest herd
of FUR seals oXtant. From royalties paid
<or skins taken from the-e islands this GOV
eminent has received S9.763,9st37 The
entire district or Alaska vas bought from
Russia hv the United States in 1867 for
s7,2oe.ooQ
TERMS or PRESENT LEASE.
Tie present lessee is restricted to taking
orly surplus young male seals two and
three Years old. 1t must carefully abstain
from killing any female seals, and must paw
n the government so 22l- for each sealskin
taken and shipped. In addition. it must
provide dwellings. schools and medical at
-@ndance for the native inhabitants. furnish
rheu1 with hsh for food and eighty tons Of
ooaI each year. and provide the necessaries
oT life for the widows orphans and aged
and inf-u. Il must also abide by any limi-
1stions and restrictions which the Secretary
of Commerce and Labor may impose. For
the last fiye years the North American
Commercial Company has shipped from tho
islands fifteen thousand sealskins annually,
which sold in London for about $50 each.
The islands are inhabited by about three
hundred native AIeuts who are employed
81 taking the sealskins. receiving 70 cents
for each skin. This amount. together with
an annual appropriation by Congress Of
$500 has been sufficient 10 maintain these
natives in qualified comfort.
Tie natives are intelligent and highly
skilled IN the business Of taking sealskins,
and although Aleuts in name, carry q
strong adriXIure Of Russian blood. They
have lived on these islands since their dis
covery by tie Russians in 1856 The isl
ands are governed bv four government
agents. who administer the affairs OF the
natives, enforce law and order, act as in
SPecroIs over the seal-killing. operations and
maintain rarlrs- observance terms oz
tn lease
To guard against poachers Russia as far
hack as 1871. issued her celebrated ukase
warning foreign vessels not 70 approach
within one hundred miles OF her Alaskan
shores Since the American. occupation
numerous raids on the seal rookeries have
aeen made, some OF which have been de-
tected and the offenders punished The
most determined was III 1906. when Japan
ese sailors landed on St. Paul Island in
large numbers and began killing breeding
seals. They were driven off by the native
guard only after several of the ua-auders
had been killed. To prevent such invasions
the government now maintains 4 guard Of
natives on the seal rookeries armed with
Gatling guns, howitzers and Krag- Jorgen-
sen rifles In addition TO this shore guard
E careful patrol OF the islands is main
tained in the summer by i feet Of revenue
cutters. with tho occasional cooperation
~ large cruiser detailed by the Navy
Department
DAMAGE BY PELAGIC SEALING.
While this government can take effective
measures 10 prevent landings by poacners.
it is powerless. without international
agreement. 10 prevent subjects Of other ma
rions from killing the seals in the open
ocean. This practice. begun in the early
7os b. whalers IN Bering Sea. bas grown
70 such formidable proportions that large
fleets Of small schoouers sailing under :he
tags Of Canada and Japan are now engaged
-n it.
The seals DO not feed on land, but 90 out
several hundred miles 70 seek food The
males rarely feed in the summer, but the
breeding females make frequent excur-
sious 10 the feeding banks. The pelagic
S-hoouers lie in wait for these females and
shoot or spear them The loss OF d female
seal entails not only the death OF herself
anc her unborn young. bur Of her living
pup on shore, which dies from starvation.
The death o. q mother seal thus results
IN the loss Of three lives. in addition to
depriving the seal herd OF the natural in
crease which would accrue il sl.e remained
alitc.
tTner IN 1856. IHese islands we-e discov-
cred by the Russian navigator Gerrasim
P-il-Iov. they contained herd OF fur seals
thar was innuuera bic. TVhen Alaska was
cedc6 10 he United States, IN 1867. the herd
Etll numbered millions. To-day. because
n the killing O. breeding mother seals in
tlc open ocean. the fUr seals number little
more than one hundred and fifty thousand
III told. American citizens arc prevented
ty law from killing seals In the water
Since 1870 this government h2s been nego-
tisring vita Great Britain. hussia and
Japan for an agTeement by which the prac-
ice o. killing these seals in The sea shall
lo abolished The negotiations arc still
pendinE. but favo-ab Ole outcome is hoped
tor.