340 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



Mr. Blaine to Sir Julian Fauncefote. 



Department of State, 



Washington, Noccmher 27, 1891. 



Sir: In tlie early part of last Aveek you furnished tlie exact points 

 which had been agreed upon for arbitration in the matter of the Behriiig- 

 Sea negotiation. You called later and corrected the language which 

 introduced the agreement. In fact, the two copies framed were taken 

 entirely from your minutes. It was done with a view that you and I 

 should sign them, and thus authenticate the points for the Arbitrators 

 to consider. 



You inform me now that Lord Salisbury asks to make two reserva- 

 tions in the sixth article. His first reservation is that " the necessity 

 of any regulation is left to the Arbitrators, as well as the nature of those 

 regulations if the necessity is in their judgment proved." 



What reason has Lord Salisbury for altering the text of the article 

 to which he had agreed! It is to be jiresumed that if regulations are 

 needed they will be made. If they are not iieeded the arbitrators will 

 not make them. The agreement leaves the arbitrators free ujion that 

 point. The first reservation, therefore, has no special meaning. 



The second reservation which Lord Salisbury makes is that " the 

 regulations shall not become obligatory on Great Britain and tlie United 

 States until they have been accepted by the other maritime powers." 

 Does Lord Salisbury mean that the United States and Great Britain 

 shall refrain from taking seals until every maritime power joins in the 

 regulations ? Or does he mean that sealing shall be resumed the 1st of 

 May next and that we sliall proceed as before the Arbitration until the 

 regulations have been acce])ted by the other "maritime j)owers?" 



"Maritime powers" may mean one thing or anotiier. Lord Salisbury 

 did not say the principal maritime powers. France, Spain, Portugal, 

 Italy, Austria, Turkey, Eussia, Germany, Sweden, Hoband, Belgium, 

 are all maritime powers in the sense that they maintain a navy, great 

 or small. In like manner Brazil, the Argentine Confederation, Chile, 

 Peru, Mexico, and Japan are maritime powers. It \vould require a long 

 time, three years at least, to get the assent of all these powers. Mr. 

 Bayard, of the 19th of Augast, 1887, addressed Great Britain, Germany, 

 France, Eussia, Sweden and ]!!^orway, and Japan with a view to secur- 

 ing some regulations in regard to the seals in Bering Sea. France, 

 Japan, and Eussia replied with languid indift'erence. Great Britain 

 never reydied in writing, Germany did not reply at all, Sweden and 

 Norway said the matter was of no interest to tliem. Thus it will be 

 again. Such a proposition will posti^one the matter indefinitely. 



The President regards Lord Salisbury's second reservation, therefore, 

 as a material change in the teims of the arbitration agreed upon by 

 this Government; and he instructs me to say that he does not feel will- 

 ing to take it into consideration. He adheres' to every point of agree- 

 ment which has been made between the two powers, according to the 

 text which you furnished. He will regret if Lord Salisbury shall insist 

 on a substantially new agreement. He sees no objection to submitting 

 the agreement to the principal maritime powers for their assent, but he 

 can not agree that Great I>ritain and the United States shall make their 

 adjustmentdcpendent on the action of third parties who have no direct 

 interest in the seal fisheries, or that the settlement shall be postponed 

 until those third parties see fit to act. 



I have, etc., 



JAJIES G. Blaine. 



