316 



REPORTS OF BERING SEA COMMISSION. 



records. 



Meetings 

 tiuued. 



DisaOTcemeiit. 



MviBtings heidenceto persoiis, as related to views or opinions 



without formal r. i /-< • • i 



expressed by members oi the Commission cUir- 

 ing the Conference, should be made. 



1- Meetino's of the Joint Commission were held 

 almost daily from the lltliof February until tlie 

 4th of March, on which day the joint report was 

 signed and the Conference adjourned sine die. 



Early in the progress of the Conference it be- 

 came evident that there were wide differences of 

 opinion, not only as to conclusions, but also as to 

 facts. It seems proper here to refer briefly to 

 the attitude of the Commissioners on the part 

 of the United States or to the standpoint from 

 which they endeavored to consider the questions 

 involved. 



*^^ Tlie instructions under which we acted are 

 contained in Article IX of the Arbitration Con- 

 vention, and, as far as relates to the nature of the 

 inquiry, are as follows : 



^'Eacli Government shall appoint two Com- 

 missioners to investigate conjointly with the 

 Commissioners of the other Government all the 

 facts having relation to seal life in Bering Sea, 

 and the measures necessary for its proper pro- 

 tection and preservation." 



This sentence appears to be simple in its char- 

 acter and entirely clear as to its meaning. The 

 measures to be recommended were such as in 



Article 

 treaty. 



IX 



Application 

 Article IX. 



of 



