171 



chcm, under secretary of state in charge of the imperial foreign oflice, tliat recent. 

 occnrrenccH liave drawn the attention of that Ciovernuieut to tlie necessity of talcing 

 steps for the bettor protection of tlie fnr-seal fisheries in Behring Sea. 



Witlioiit raising any question as to the exceptional measures which the peculiar 

 character of the property in question might justify the (government of tlie United 

 States in talcing, and without reference to any exceptional marine jurisdiction that 

 might proi)erly be claimed for that end, it has been deemed advisable to seek to at- 

 tain the desired ends by international cooperation. 



It is well known that the unregulated and indiscriminate killing of seals in many 

 parts of the world has driven them from place to place, and by breaking up their 

 habitual resorts has greatly reduced their number. 



Under these circumstances and in view of the common interest of all nations in 

 preventing the indiscriminate destruction and. consequent extermination of an ani- 

 mal which contributes so importantly to the commercial wealth and general use of 

 mankind, the Government of the United States has instructed the niulersigned to 

 present the subject to the attention of the Imperial Government, and to invite it to 

 enter into such an arrangement with the Government of the United States as will 

 prevent the citizens of either country from killing seals in Behring Sea at such times 

 and places, and by such methods as at present are pursued, and which threaten the 

 speedy extermination of those animals and consequent serious loss to mankind. 



The undersigned begs to add that he has been informed by his Government that 

 the ministers of the United States to Sweden and >Jorway, Kussiai, France, Great 

 Britain, and Japan have been each similarly addressed on the subject refeiTed to, 

 and avails himself, etc. 



CuAPMAN Coleman. 



G-RTC^T BRITATlSr. 



Mr. Phelps to Mr. Bayard. 



JS'o. 618.] Legation of the United States, 



London, November 12, 18S7. (Keceived November 32.) 



Sir : Eefening to your inslructioiis imiiibered (iS5, of August 19, 1887, 

 I liave now to say tliat owing to tlie absence from Loudon of Lord Salis- 

 bury, secretary of state for foreign affaiis, it lias not been in my power 

 to obtain his attention to the subject until yesterday. 



I had then an interview with liim, in which I proposed on the part of 

 the Government of the United States that by mutual agreement of the 

 two Governments a code of regulations vshould be adopted for the pres- 

 ervation of the seals iu Behring Sea from destruction at improper times 

 and by improper means by the citizens of either country; such agree- 

 ment to be entirely irrespective of any questions of conflicting jurisdic- 

 tion in those waters. 



His lordship x>i'omptly acquiesced in this^ projjosal on the part of 

 Great Britain and suggested that 1 should obtain from my Government 

 and submit to him a sketch of a system of regulations which would be 

 adequate for the purpose. 



1 have therefore to request that I maybe furnished as early as possi- 

 ble with a draft of such a code as iu your judgment should be adopted. 



I would suggest also that copies of it be furnished at the same time 

 to the ministers of the United States in Germany, Sweden and Norway, 

 llussia, France, and Japan, in order that it may be under considera- 

 tion by the Governments of those countries. A mutual agreement be- 

 tween all the Governments interested may thus be reached at an early 

 day. 



I have, etc., 



E. J. Phelps. 



