The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-01-28

labor, Charles Nagel, has a new duty
to perform, now that the in,ernation-
al arbitration treaty regulating tie
control and administration of the
laws governing fur seal trading has
been negotiated between this coun-
try, Great Britain Russia, and ia
pan. Aside from his duties connect
ed with the department 81 commerce
and labor. Mr.. Nagel will be known
hereafter as the international GamH
warden, with plenipotentiarF powers
in guarding the fur seals of the
waters around Alaska. His duties
will be administered in connection
with other high officers OF the re-
spective governments parties to the
agreement, in the hope that the fur
seal industry will be properly pro-
tected from robbing bands of ma
RAIDERS who infest the Pacific Ocean
in those waters, killing seals by the
thousands. and gradually bringing
about an determination of the spe'
cies.
Negotiations of the pact between
the parties is regarded here as a
/ great diplomatic stroke by friends
OF Secretary of State Knox, and an
agreement OF mutual advantage to
tn, nations which have signed the
treaty
In speaking Of It recently Secro-
tary Nagel said thai he regarded
the arbitration treaty as a wonderful
advance. showing how easy it is for
the representatives of friendly powers
TO reach a common basis upon which
to deal with matters about which
/ there are differences of opinion. In
the secretary's opinion this arbitra-
| ton pact is the forerunner of other
treaties more widely divergent in
| character and more vital to the in
/ terests of nations. Yet through the
example set by President Taft, all
differences of opinion by various
countries. he thinks, no matter
what is contemplated, will be set
tied through the peaceful offices OF
arbitration. In support of his view
Mr.. Nagel points to the present peace
arbitration agreement between this
country and great Britain, now be-
fore the senate in which various
mqtterS are TO he taken up for arb'
tration without the resort TO armed
forces. should such a condition arise.
In returning TO discussion OF
the seal pact Mr.. Nagel said that
Russia and the United States had
, practically agreed upon the abolish
ment of pelagic seal fishing, the Unit
ed States because of It's large and
valuable herds upon the Bribilof ISL
ands, and Russia because of her
herds on the Commander Islands.
Japan. however" he said, has
practically had her herd wiped out by
pelaeic sealing, which was rather en-
courased than otherwise, while Can
ada has everything to gain and
nothing to lose by pelagic sealing.
The four countries" he said "had
different interests, and yot after thor
oughly discussing the subject in all
its bearings they We're finally able
10 reach an agreement which is sat
isfactory to them all.
"It is not to the interest of the
world" Mr.. Nagel continued, "to
have the fur seal eXterminated and
vet that fate was unavoidable if
peligic sealing was to continue. The
reason for it is that in pelagic seal
ing it is the female seals that ar
slaughtered.
at the opening Of the breeding
+ season the fights between the males
take place which determine which
are to dominate the harems Once
/ they are settled the other seals are
| driven off some miles and kept away
by a system of animal regulation that
is little short of marvellous. After
the young are born the female leaves
/ the land and goes out to sea, ~
| for three, or ten or twenty miles.
but for hundreds of miles into the
ocean in search of food. The male,
! however, does not leave the land. Il
| is the females therefore that fall
victims to the pelagic sealer. and the
loss of a female is a double loss,
| because it means the loss of her
yodng which starve to death
Nothing is lost by killing the male
seals. the secretary said. All ex-
parts representing the various IA
tions agreed to this at the conference.
But the loss of the females meanS
the loss OF the young and conse-