| Show THE BEHRING SEA QUESTION A of the trouble either b b the sword or by arbitration will way russia into the question it was iii bythe the treaty of 1867 with russia that W we came into possession of what is ir called behring sea it to is said on our port part that said treaty defines the geographical extent over which our jurisdiction extends we know that united states statutes prohibit for ln seal PORCh poaching IlIg within our posses akons as defined ned in that russian treaty the executive department of our government some time ago in accordance with autho authority rily given it by congress lamed AL a proclamation cautioning allen alien mid eal poachers of the illegitimacy of enter view of these reasons mr blaines attitude at present cannot be be saad to be either aggressive or belli 1 farent fi rent nt on the contrary when he proposes to submit to arbitration it may be 1 ald that his attitude on the im t issue is conservative and conciliatory cili atory he proposes to settle by arbitration the question of whether united states officials officials gerej were justified justified in capturing and detaining foreign seal flashers fl in behring sea as they did who bohe time ago should lt it be decided by arbitration that the united states w were ere justified in this action then the matter would be dropped but if the decision were given against the united states then damages to the government of great britain duld be the question if the amount of damage could not be amicably determined by the british minister at washington and the american secretary of state then the case must be decided by the original arbitrator mr blaines aines BI arbitration proposal maybe may be summed up as follows what were the rights of russia and to what extent did great britain recognize theme rights did the treaty of 1825 between great britain and russia include behring sea in the phrase pacific ocean did the treaty of 1867 between the united states and russia give to the former all the rights of the latter an aej J most important of all what are the present rights of the united states in behring sea and how acquired should it be finally agreed upon that great britain has rights in behring sea then all that would be necessary would be a joint commission from both countries defining territorial limits and designating the seasons for seal sea fishing the english press looks upon mr blaines Bl alnea action as being entirely directed from a partisan point of view at home the pall mall gazette says saye that mr blaine wants to make oolitic al capital for his party the london Gade nominates denominates de mr aines BI S attitude as bragging spread eagle eagie ism lam yet it advocates arbitration the telegraph sneers at mr blaines Blaine s ei letter but the times GA chronicle ronicle and newa yews treat it 11 considerately and respectfully the st sa james gazette cassette asks but why is the united states navy being mussed massed in the pacific unless it is to make Behring sea a mare clausum cl ausum officers of the american navy do not act upon rumors printed in american papers but mr blaine says that it ignot is not the intention to pronounce behring sea a mare amare ceausu clau Buna m or closed sea then it seems as if the whole matter could be settled amicably by arbitration the fact that it is admitted on both sides that this behring sea is not a CIO closed sed ocean will vill help materially |
