FUR SEALS AND OTHER LIFE, PRIBILOF ISLANDS, 1914. 15 



INVESTIGATIONS BY CANADA AND JAPAN. 



Canada and Japan, being interested financially in the American seal herd by the 

 terms of the treaty abolishing pelagic sealing, also arranged to send representatives 

 to the Pribilof Islands in 1914. A few days before the date assigned the American 

 investigators for leaving for the Pribilof Islands, the State Department received from 

 the British and Japanese ambassadors the following communication, which was referred 

 to the Department of Commerce : 



NOTE VERBALE. 



During the past 25 years naturalists of unquestioned ability and integrity have been at great pains 

 to acquire a fuller knowledge of the life of the fur seals frequenting the North Pacific Ocean. They 

 have devoted much attention to the subject and have made a close personal study thereof on the seal 

 islands. Whilst these studies have resulted in a consensus of opinion on many aspects of seal life, it 

 appears that there is still some divergence of view, for instance as to the best course to rehabilitate 

 the herd. 



In view of the importance of the matter to Canada and Japan, as well as to the United States, a 

 suggestion has been made that the present time calls for the appointment of a committee of experts for 

 these three countries to visit the Pribilof Is'ands during the summer, and after a thorough investi- 

 gation into the conditions there prevailing, to submit a joint report and recommendations, if they can 

 agree on such, for the consideration of the United States Government. 



It is desired to know what view the United States Government take of this proposal, and as the 

 experts should be on the islands by the month of July, it is hoped that the United States Government 

 will be able to give the matter their early consideration. 



May 29, 1914. 



To this request the Department of Commerce replied through the Department of 

 State, expressing the belief that, on account of the late date, it would be impracticable 

 to secure the necessary authority to enter into the formal joint investigation proposed, 

 but that arrangements to send three expert assistants to the islands had already been 

 made; that the department would welcome the representatives of Canada and Japan 

 to the seal islands, and would afford them every possible facility for making their inves- 

 tigations, and through its assistants would cooperate with them so far as possible. 

 To this end, the agents on the islands and the special assistants were instructed to 

 extend to the foreign visitors all possible courtesy and assistance. 



With this understanding, two experts from Canada and one from Japan visited 

 the islands during the investigation. The representatives of Canada were Mr. James M. 

 Macoun, naturalist of the Geological Survey of Canada, and Mr. B. W. Harmon, of the 

 Dominion Department of Marine and Fisheries. The representative of Japan was 

 Dr. T. Kitahara, biologist of the Imperial Japanese Fisheries Bureau. The American and 

 foreign representatives worked cooperatively during the season, and though nothing 

 of a deliberative nature was done jointly, the observation of fact and particularly the 

 enumerations of seals, were matters of joint labor bv both Americans and foieigners. 



ITINERARY. 



Pursuant to instructions the three assistants assembled at Seattle, Wash., on the 

 evening of June 8. Upon the arrival of the Canadian representatives, the combined 

 party went on board the revenue cutter McCulloch, Capt. P. H. Uberroth commanding, 

 and left for the Pribilof Islands on June ii. St. Paul Island was reached in the late 

 afternoon of June 21, and the party was hospitably received by the officials in charge. 

 84512°— .S. Doc. 980, 63-3 2 



