FUR-SEAL HEED OF ALASKA, 



203 



The bogus log of the pirate ship 

 sent to the State Department by 

 lessee Liebes December 8, 1899. 



Mr. Elliott. The claim dragged, be- 

 cause the log book of the Lewis was in the 

 hands of its captors. It was necessary 

 that a log book be produced which would 

 show that at the time of the seizure the 

 Lewis was on the high seas. The log book 

 taken by the Russians does not show 

 where the vessel was at the time or what 

 she had been doing. This difficulty is 

 met by Liebes, who, through an agent, 

 George R. Tingle, the general manager of 

 the lessees of the seal islands, who, on 

 December 8, sends, with a letter, the 

 "original log" of the /. Hamilton Lewis. 

 McLean swears to it and Tingle vouches 

 for it to Secretary of State Olney. Tingle 

 says that this long delay (six years) in 

 producing the log was due to his absence 

 from the city, when, in truth, he was in 

 Washington nine months of each year ever 

 since 1899 up to the date of the letter. 

 But this log, which owners and masters 

 have offered as the original log of the 

 /. Hamilton I^ewis, is soberly and sol- 

 emnly received at the State Department 

 as a bona fide exhibit for presentation at 

 The Hague. (Hearing No. 4, p. 181, 

 July 11, 1911.) 



Townsend don't know Liebes — 

 he does not know much about 

 San Francisco pelagic-sealing 

 facts — he got the great bulk of 

 that data in Victoria, British Co- 

 lumbia. 



Mr. Elliott. Dr. Townsend, when did 

 you first meet Isaac and Herman Liebes? 



Dr. Townsend. I have no recollection 

 of ever meeting either of them. 



Mr. Elliott. You do not know them? 



Dr. Townsend. I am pretty sure that 

 I have never met either ui them. 



Mr. Elliott. Have you never seen 

 them? 



Dr. Townsend. I have never seen 

 them. 



Mr. Elliott. You never have C(jnferred 

 with them? 



Dr. Townsend. I have no recollection 

 of it. 



Mr. Elliott. Have you ever been in 

 their place of business? . 



Dr. Townsend. They used to have a 

 l)ig store in San Francisco: it is possible 

 I may have been in it. I have no recol- 



Townsend, as an "expert," 

 vouches for this pirate's log being 

 genuine and legally in form, at 

 The Hague July, 1902. 



Mr. McGillicuddy. Do you mean to 

 say that our Government claimed dam- 

 ages for the seizure of a vessel by the 

 Russian Government when such vessel 

 was engaged in pelagic sealing? 



Dr. Townsend. Yes, sir. 



Mr. McGillicuddy. And that was done 

 through our State Department? 



Dr. Townsend. That is about my rec- 

 ollection. 



Mr. McGillicuddy. You were there as 

 an expert, were you not? 



Dr. Townsend. Yes, sir. 



The Chairman. I do not want him to 

 make a statement that he can not sub- 

 stantiate, but I would like to know now, 

 Dr. Townsend, in what capacity you 

 were at The Hague Tribunal in this 

 matter? 



Dr. Townsend. In the progress of the 

 work before The Hague Tribunal it be- 

 came necessary for the Secretary to pro- 

 duce information on various sealing 

 matters, such as the movements of sealing 

 vessels. I carried along with me a trunk 

 full of log books of sealing vessels. We 

 would have before us the charges made 

 by the Russian representative during the 

 day, and we would work all night pre- 

 paring something to refute the charges. 

 I carried the log books that had been 

 taken from the vessels. (Hearing No. 12, 

 pp. 7.56, 758, May 24, 1912.) 



But when Victoria is reached, 

 Townsend has no data whatever 

 as to pelagic-sealing business duly 

 claimed by him May 25, last. 



The Chairman. Who compose the Vic- 

 toria Sealers' Association? 



Dr. Townsend. I do not know who the 

 officers are. 



The Chairman . What is their business? 



Dr. Townsend. I suppose it is a com- 

 pany for the carrying on of pelagic sealing. 

 They are the owners of vessels, and must 

 be located in Victoria. 



The Chairman. Is that their place of 

 business? 



Dr. Townsend. Very likely. I can 

 hardly imagine that it would be anywhere 

 else. 



The Chairman. How long have they 

 been in business tl.ere? 



Dr. Townsend. I do not know, but 

 probably for a good many years. 



The Chairman. Do you know a man 

 bv t?.e name of Morris Moss? 



