190 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



nate and unregulated destruction of fur seals in the Behring Sea, the views of the 

 InipiM-ial Govei-nment having been communicated to you, your Government intimated 

 that they would approach the subject again upon receipt of responses from the i)ow- 

 ers consulted, and consequently the Imperial Government have been awaiting further 

 communication from your Government. 



Ill the meantime lit has recently been reported to the Imperial Government that 

 the United States minister at London is holding consultation with Her British Maj- 

 esty's principal Secretary for Foreign A tfairs and the diplomatic representatives of 

 sonie other power or powers interested in respect to certain matters bearing upon 

 the subject. 



The Imperial Government are not aware of the nature of the question under dis- 

 cussion. If, however, the negotiation has actually assumed the character of an in- 

 'ternational convention, in which the views of the several powers interestiMl may be 

 formally interchanged, the Imperial Government would desire to instruct their rep- 

 resentative at Lon<h)n to take part in such negotiation. 



I thei-efore beg leave to re(|uest that you will be so good as to ascertain the truth 

 of the report and to connuunicate to me the result of your inquiry. 

 I avail myself, etc., 



Couj^x Shigenobu Okuma. 



[Inclosure 2 in N'o. 492.] 



Mr. Riihhard to Count Olcuma. 



United States Legation, 



ToJcyo, July 12, ISSS. 



Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's note No. 25, 

 of the 7th instant, in Avhich, referring to the subject of the proposed arrangement 

 between the Governments of the United States and Japan and some other powers, 

 looking to the protection of the fur-seal fisheries in Behring Sea, your excellency 

 informs me that it has been reported to the Imperial Government that the United 

 States minister at London is lioldiug cimsultatiou with Her British Majesty's princi- 

 l>al Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the diplonuvtic representatives of some other 

 powers interested, in respect to certain matters bearing upon the subject. Your ex- 

 cellency further states that if the negotiations have assumed the character of ^an 

 international conference, in Avhich tlie views of the several powers interested m*ay 

 be fornuilly interchanged, the Imperial Government Avould desire to instruct their 

 representative at London to take part in such negotiations; and you request me to 

 ascertain tlie truth of the report referred to, and to communicate the result of my 

 inquiry to your dcpartmejit. 



In reply I have the honor to say to your excellency that by the mail leaving for the 

 United States on or about June 20 I had the honor, as suggested by the verbal and 

 informal inquiry of the Foreign Oftice, to address a dispatch to the honorable the 

 Secretary of State of my Government, requesting to be advised of the present status 

 of the negotiations (tf the proposed convention; and in pursuance of the subject I 

 will by the next mail leaving for the United States forward a copy of your excel- 

 lency's note, with the request that my Government will furnish me with full infor- 

 mation respecting the progress of the negotiations. 



In this connection I beg to say to your excellency that I have been informed in- 

 formally and unofficially, by the representatives at Tokio of one of the ])()wcrs inter- 

 ested in the said negotiations, that he was in receipt of inlbrmation to the elt'cct 

 that the consultation now being conducted at London is of a purely prelinunary 

 character. 



I am fully persuaded that the consultation to which your excellency refers is of 

 th(! same nature as has already taken place between the United States minister at 

 Tokyo and the Japanese Foreign OHice; and ll)egto repeat to your excellency what 

 I liave already had the honor to assure your Department on ])revious occasions thit 

 a linal decision will not be readied in this mattc^r of tlic iiropo.sod convention ii:itil 

 tlie Imperial Government h;is been fully advised and has li;id ainph-. oi)port,inily tu 

 express its views in the premises. 

 I avail, etc., 



IiicuAUO B. HunuAUD. 



