FUR-SEAL HERD OF ALASKA. 69 



"The policy which the United States has adopted with respect to the killing of 

 seals on the islands is not believed to have had a substantial effect upon the reduction 

 of the herd; but the discontinuance of this policy is recommended in order that the 

 United States may be free to deal with the general question in its negotiations with 

 foreign countries. To that end it is recommended that the leasing system be aban- 

 doned for the present, and that the Government take over entire control of the islands, 

 including the inhabitants and the seal herds. The objection which has heretofore 

 been made to this policy, upon the ground that the Government would engage in pri- 

 vate business, has been deprived of practical force. The herds have been reduced 

 to such an extent that the question of profit has become a mere incident, and the con- 

 trolling question has become one of conservation." 



As any man may see from the foregoing, the President and Congress intended, and 

 still do intend, tliat the slaughter of fur seals on our islands shall immediately cease! 

 Just when they will be willing for killing to be resumed is a question that the future 

 alone can determine. Congress, as representing the people of this Nation, desires 

 that the international fur-seal disgrace shall end immediately, and that blundering 

 shall cease. The good intentions of the President and Congress are entirely beyond 

 dispute. They accepted your bill without question; and they gave you $50,000 for 

 the first year's maintenance of the natives who no longer would draw wages from seal 

 butchery. They even gave you, most generously, and almost without question, 

 $100,000 with which to buy up the old property of the outgoing lessees — old junk, we 

 call it — at prices to be fixed by your representatives. 



All this was done in the belief that yoii honestly intended to take the first and 

 most important step in ending the great scandal. 



We warn you not to make a false step in this matter. If you carry out your present 

 intention blame will fall heavily, and it will fall upon you and Commissioner George 

 M. Bowers. The public will not care who advised you two to break faith with Congress 

 or who ' ' concurs " in it. You will be arraigned on the floors of Congress and in the press 

 of America, and if the terms of your arraignment are severe you will have only your- 

 self and the evil genius of the fur seal to thank for it. 



The moderate tone of your last letter has made me feel deeply sorry that you are 

 being led by blind guides into a totally false position, and one which quickly will 

 prove very hateful to you. I am taking all this trouble to warn you because Senator 

 Dixon has assured me that at heart you are a very conscientious man. You have 

 not followed the fortunes of the fur seal for 30 years, as I have. You are depending 

 upon the advice of men who are giving you bad advice — for several different reasons. 

 The one man whose advice would be worth most to you — Mr. Henry W. Elliott — is 

 cordially disliked by some of the "fur-seal" experts whose mistakes he has merci- 

 lessly exposed. 



If the Secretary of State really wishes you to slaughter seals in order to facilitate 

 the making of treaties against seal slaughter (?), then may Heaven help his "nego- 

 tiations." for assuredly they will need it. In the well-nigh annihilation of the fur- 

 seal industry the Department of State already has many failures to answer for, and 

 it is high time for those failures to give place to one diplomatic success. 

 Yours, very truly, 



W. T. HORNADAY, 



Chairman Committee on Game Protective Legislation and Preserves, 



Camp-Fire Cluh of imerica. 

 Approved and signed by — ■ 



Julius H. Seymour, 



Counsel. 

 A. S. IIouctHton. 

 Charles 1). Cleveland. 

 Manhall McI;EAN. 

 George Wm. Burleigh. 

 William B Greeley. 



Did Charles Nagel attempt to answer and deny those specific 

 charges of fraud and wrongdoino- put up to him in the above responsi- 

 ble and authoritative form and record 'i No. He issued his orders 

 as usual to Walter I. Lembkey, and killed in the following June and 

 July 12,920 seals, out of which 7,733 were self-confessed yearling 

 seals — self-confessed bv his own agent, Lembkev. (See Hearing Xo. 

 9, pp. 434, 435, 436-442, 443, Apr. 13, 1913: H. Com. Exp. Dept. 

 C. & L.) 



