Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-04

UBned unuef lhlb bBIeeHenL 70 lHoSt
In Washington early next year TO pro-
ceed with this arbitration.
Fur Seal Treaty and Need for Amend
ment Of Our Statute.
The act adopted at the last session
Of Congress to give effect to the fur
seal convention Of July 7, 1911, be-
tween Great Britain, Japan, Russia,
and the United States provided for the
suspension Of all land killing Of seals
on the Prlbllof Islands for a period
Of five years, and an objection has
now been presented to this provision
by the other parties in interest, which
raises the issue as TO whether or not
this prohibition OF land killing is in
consistent with the spirit, II not the
letter, Of the treaty stipulatlons. The
justification for establishing this close
season depends under the terms Of
the convention, upon how far, II at
oil, It Is necessary for protecting and
preserving the American fur-seal herd
and for increasing It's number, This
Is question requiring examination
Of the present condition Of the herd
and tho treatment which II needs In
the light Of actual experience and
scientific investigation A careful ex-
animation Of the subject Is now being
made, and this Government will soon
be IN possession Of a considerable
amount Of new information about the
American seal herd, which has been
secured during the past season and
will be- Of great value in determining
this question; and If It should appear
that there is any uncertainty as to
the real necessity for imposing a close
season at this time ! shall take an
early opportunity 10 address spe-
clal message to Congress on this sub
iect. in the belief that this Govern
ment should yield on this point rather
than give the slightest ground for the
charge that wo have been in any way
rcmss in observing our treaty OBJ
legations.
Final Settlement Of North Atlantic
Fisheries Dispute.
on the Goth Of July last an agree
ment was concluded between the
United States and Great Britain adopt
ing, with certain notifications, the
rules and method Of procedure recon-
mondcd In the award rendered by the
North Atlantic Coast Fisheries Arbl-
tration Tribunal ON September T. 1910,
for the settlement hereafter in ac-
cordance with the principles laid down
in the award, Of questions arising
with reference to the exercise Of the
American fishing liberties under Ar
ticle | of the treaty Of October 20,
1918, between the United States and
Great Britain, This agreement re-
celyed the approval Of the Senate on
August / and was formally ratified
by the two Governments on Novem-
ber 10 last, The rules and a method
OF procedure embodied in the award
provided for determining by an inn
partial tribunal the reasonabeness of
! any new fishery regulations ON the
I treaty coasts Of Newfoundland and
Canada before such regulations could
be enforced against American fisher
men exercising their treaty liberties
on those coasts, and also for determin-
ing the delmitation of bays on such
coasts more than 10 miles wide, In
accordance with the definition adopt
ed by the tribunal of the meaning Of
| the word bays as used In the treaty.
In the subsequent negotiations be-
tween the two Governments, under
taken for the purpose Of giving prac-
ticO effect to these rules and methods
of procedure, 1t was found that GER
tain notifications therein were de-
slrablo from the point of view of both
Governments, and these negotiations
| have finally resulted in the agreement
above mentioned by which the award
recommendations as modified by mu-
tual consent Of the two Governments
are finally adopted and made cffec-
tive, thus bringing this century-old
controversy to final conclusion.
which Is equally beneficial and salts
factory to both Governments,
Imperial valley and Mexico.
In order to make possible the more
effective performance Of the work
necessary for the confinement I'm their
present channel Of the waters Of the
lower Colorado River and thus to
protect the people Of the Imperial
Valley as we'll as In order to reach
with the Government of Mexico an
understanding regarding the distribu-
ton OF the waters Of the Colorado
River In which both Governments are
much interested negotiations are go
Ing forward with a view to the os-
tablishment OF q preliminary Colorado
River commission, which shall have
the powers necessary to enable It to
do the needtul work and with author
ity to study the question Of the eQuit-
able distribution Of the waters There
is every reason to believe that an