EXHIBIT IV. THE EXPERTS QUOTED BY SECRETARY NAGEL 

 AS HIS ADVISERS IN KILLING FUR SEALS IN VIOLATION 

 OF LAW, ALL DENY THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, AND ALL 

 DENY ANY PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHETHER THAT 

 KILLING WAS LEGAL OR ILLEGAL, AS DONE BY NAGEL. 



On April 26, 1909, Secretary Charles Nag^el wa notified in specific 

 detail that his agents, under liis directions, were killing seals on the 

 Pribilof Islands in open, flagrant violation of the law and regulations. 

 On May 18, 1910, the executive committee of the Camp Fire Club of 

 America addressed a stirring letter of protest to the Secretary of 

 Commerce and Labor against any further killing of seals on the 

 Pribilof Islands for commercial purposes, and the Secretary was 

 warned that if any seals were killed by him it would be a breach of 

 the faith reposed in him by the Senate Committee on Conservation of 

 National Rest)urces. This being ignoretl, on May 27, 1910, the 

 executive committee of this Camp Fire Club addressed a second letter 

 recording its final protest, and warning the Secretary of Commerce 

 and Labor not to make a false step in the matter. This warning was 

 unheeded, and under orders from the Secretary of Commerce and 

 Labor, dated May 9, 1910, 12,920 fur seals were slaughtered on the 

 Pribilof Islands in June and July, 1910. 



On December 16, 1910, the skins of those seals thus slaughtered and 

 taken by the order of Secretary Charles Nagel, as above stated, were 

 sold in the London fur market, and the official records of the sale 

 revealed the fact that 7,733 of those skins were classified as "small 

 pups" and ''extra small pups." The London measurements which 

 declare this classification show that these skins were taken in violation 

 of the law and regulations. 



On January 9, 1911, Senator Knute Xelson intrcxkiced Senate bill 

 No. 99-59, entitled "An act to protect the seal fisheries of Alaska, and 

 for other purposes." This bill was introduced at the request of the 

 Camp Fire Club of America for the purpose of preventing by manda- 

 tory law the killing of any fur seals on the Pribilof Ishuuis for com- 

 mercial purposes during tiie next five years. 



On January 10 the chairman of the Senate committee submitted 

 a cop3^ of this bill thus introduced b}' Senator Nelson, to Secretary 

 Charles Nagel, and asked him to express his opmion officially to the 

 committee u])on its merits, alluding also to the protests against his 

 killing in 1910 and thereto recorded, and made directly against tlie 

 action of his agents, killing seals under his direction, in violation 

 of the law and regulations. On January 14, 1911, Secretary Charles 

 Nagel addressed the following letter to Chairman Dixon: 



Department of Commerce anb Labor, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington, January 14, 1911. 

 My Dear Senator: 1 have your commuuication of the 12th instant inclosing 

 Senate bill No. 9959 to amend an act entitled "An act to protect the seal fisheries of 

 Alaska, and for other purposes." 



The essential purpose of this bill I take to be a suspension of seal killing for a period 

 of five years from and after the 1st day of May, 1911. Since the hearing before your 



153 



