74 AEGUMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



tlie United States, affirm tlie excellence of the principles 

 of manageuient without qualification. 



Without, however, iu this place entering into a general 

 discussion of this matter, it is proposed to follow the 

 special and limited line of criticism adopted on the part of 

 the United States. 



The United States then proceed to insist that attention 

 as to any decrease of seals should be confined to the first 

 decade of the lease of the Alaska Commercial Company 

 before pelagic sealing became important, because the Brit 

 ish Commissioners admit that iu later years there were 

 concurrent causes tending toward decrease. The argu- 

 ment would, however, invalidate all the United States 

 arguments directed against pelagic sealing, and the con- 

 clusions in respect to such sealing at which they arrive. 

 CTniteri States Morcovcr, the United States in their Case have held tliat 

 ase, pp. 172-174. |j^ tlicsc reccut ycars the decrease was observed in females 

 only, and that these have been killed at sea. They have 

 endeavoured to prove this at length, and cannot now com- 

 plain if evidence showing the decrease in the number of 

 males is adduced on the same subject for the same period, 

 i. e., the second decade of the Alaska Commercial Company's 

 lease. 

 Page 66. It is here, however, admitted by the United States that, 



under certain conditions, matters relating to the islands, 

 even after pelagic sealing became important, may be rele- 

 vant to the discussion. The conditions are stated to be: 



That there was a sufficient increase in the number of seals killeil on 

 the islands, or sufficient changes In the methods employed in talcing 

 the quota, to materially affect and deplete the seal herd, even without 

 the introduction of pelagic sealing. 



Page 66. ^"^ They then admit that some time after pelagic seal- 



ing began — 



the number alloiced hy the lease to be killed was more than the reduced 

 herd could properly endure; but they assert that any evil effects reunit- 

 ing from the management of the islands is directly chargeable to the 

 conditions establislied by pelagic sealing. 



TTnited states This remarkable admission stands broadly in contra- 

 ase, p. io3. dictiou to the statement elsewhere made, that — 



this number is variable and entirely within the control of the Treas- 

 ury Department of the United States. 



In other words, the preservation of the seals as a whole 

 was not the object of the management of the islands, the 

 ruling factor being the annual take of a large number of 

 seals, whatever the effect. 



But passing over for the moment these aspects of the 

 case, it may be pointed out that the British Commissioners 

 in their Keport practically comply with the conditions 

 insisted on by the United States. They, in fact, show that 

 the methods as well as the actual number of seals taken on 

 the islands were such as to be injurious to seal life as a 

 whole. Their treatment of the whole subject of the man- 

 agement of the Pribyloff Islands is practically directed to 

 these points. 



