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Show THE SEAL CONTROVERSY. A correspondent of The Times states that he attempted to read the Behring sea correspondence, but gave it up, as life was too short to wade through a sea of 15,000 words with which the press was flooded, and he asks us to give him a brief synopsis. As we understand un-derstand the matter the purchase of Alaska from Russia included the seal islands in Behring sea. The United States and Russia own all the territory bordering, upon that sea, and therefore Die present administration claims that Behring sea is a closed sea. Other claims are set up, one of which is that whether it is or is not a closed sea nobody no-body else has tho right to kill seals in it. This claim was never disputed, lo Russia, nor to the United States after purchase, until 18WJ, and ought not lo bo disputed now. It is also maintained by the United Slates that the method of the Canadian seal vessels in killing the seals in the open sea threatens to exterminate the animals, ani-mals, and is therefore against tho interests inter-ests of all nations. It will be remcni' bered that to uphold these claims we havo seized several Canadian vessels, aud refused to promise not to seize any more. England, on the other hand, now maintains that Behring sea is not a closed sea, and she claims the right to hunt seals threo miles from the shore, and as to the seizure of vessels she has made a formal protest. This brings the matter to an issue, and in all probability probabil-ity it will bo settled by arbitration. Meantime war vessels of both countries coun-tries are watching the Behring sea, and should any more Canadian sealers be seized a collision may be the result. |