CONCLUSION. 301 



mankind and sliould be permitted to discharge As trustee, vi^iit 



and duty to pro- 



tlieir trust without hindrance. t^^*- 



In respect to the second question heretofore ^,,^y'^^^^^^^ proiiii? 

 stated, it will be claimed by the United States, ^*® ' 

 that the extermination of this seal herd can only 

 be prevented by the practical prohibition of 

 pelagic sealing in all the waters to which it 

 resorts. 



The United States Government defers ^rgu- f^.^/J'' ''''''' ^ '^^- 

 ment in supj^ort of the propositions above an- 

 nounced until a later stage of these proceedings. 



In respect to the iurisdiction conferred by Tribunal may 



i ^ '' sanction conduct 



the treaty, it conceives it to be within the prov-^J mesciOje^iT^c^u- 

 ince of tins high Tribunal to sanction by its de- '^*^""'*- 

 cision any course of executive conduct in respect 

 to the subject in dispute, which either nation 

 would, in the judgment of this Tribunal, be deemed 

 justified in adopting, under the circumstances of 

 the case; or to prescribe for the high contracting 

 parties any agreement or regulations in respect 

 to it, which in equity, justice, humanity, and en- 

 lightened policy the case appears to require. 



In conclusion the United States invoke the 10,^''^^''''^**^^^^'^" 

 judgment of this high Tribunal to the effect : 



First. That prior and up to the time of the exchSvYSghriii 

 cession of Alaska to the United States Russia ^ ^°° 



