Show A NEW SEAL conference at the invitation of the united states a conference on the fur seal question will be held it at washington la in Dc october tober the united states great britain russia japan and canada are expected to be represented tho the purpose of the confer conference con enre Is to consider the reports of the british and american experts upon tho the present condition of the seal herds and to tb draft measures for their more effective protection tec tion the powers of the conference ire not final but its conclusions will be ba referred to tile the respective governments is 13 a basis for an international agreement the confer conference erce will not reopen the fuestion lu estion of exclusive jurisdiction in bering sea which was decided against the united states by the paris tribunal of 1893 neither will the conference have anything to do with the amount of damages which the united states should pay great britain tor for unwar ranted seizures of tile the vessels of british subjects that question was not adjudicated by the paris tribunal but it Is in process or of settlement by a commission appointed by great britain and the united states it Is with the question of pelagic 01 0 deep sea fishing that the confere conference will deal while bile the paris tribunal de dei aided that the united states had no exclusive rights in the seal fisheries except on the bilot bilof islands and within willita three miles of them it established a protected zone sixty miles wide around the islands within which the taking of seals was at all times prohibited and it forbade sealing in any part ot of the north pacific or bering sea between the first of may alay and the first of august in each year it if these prohibitions were observed there would bo be little danger of the extinction of the herds but there is a large destruction of seal life in violation of these conditions during the breeding season the seals swim northward to fe feeding ed grounds at a long distance from the islands they follow a narrow route which makes it easy for the pelagic sealers to intercept them most of the seals thus taken are fema females leq and their capture involves a double waste of 0 life that the continuance of these practices threatens the seals with extinction ts is not seriously questioned though british and american experts differ in their estimates of the rate of 0 diminution for several years the united states has tried to see secure ure from the british government more effective operation cooperation co in the enforcement of the decisions of the parts paris tribunal tor for the protection of the seals this season as in previous years both american and british vessels have patrolled bering sea to prevent illegal sealing but there is need of a more exact knowledge of the situation and or of an agree nent on whatever measures may bo be necessary to meet it |