706 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



and urged all good citizens to write to cials and I appeared promptly at 10 a. 



their representatives in the Senate and m., when a message from the Secretary 



the House to enact legislation which of State was given to the Committee, 



would prevent its renewal, etc. asking that no action be taken on the bill 



Under the lead of Dr. W. T. Horna- since the "fur seal treaty would be sent 

 day (who came to Washington), the to the Senate by next Wednesday," Feb. 

 Camp Fire Club so stirred the Senate 8 , etc., i. e., a treaty between Great Brit- 

 Committee on Conservation of National ain and the United States. A treaty 

 Resources, that on February 26, 1910, it was submitted. It was referred to the 

 notified Nagel that that lease must not Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 

 be renewed. It then pasesd a bill in the and on Feb. 15, 1911, reported back to 

 Senate, March 20, 1910, which repealed the Senate without amendment, and 

 the leasing law and which it believed ratified ivithont a dissenting vote on that 

 paved the way to an immediate taking same day. The terms of "mutual control 

 up of the Hay-Elliott treaty plan of and concession" were kept secret until 

 March 7-17, 1905, and a close season of Japan and Russia came into agreement 

 at least five years to all commercial kill- with them. This complete accord was 

 ing of seals on the Pribilof Islands. reached July 7, 1911, and the Senate 



But Secretary Nagel did not respect confirmed it July 24, 1911, two days 



this understanding with the Senate after it was received from the State 



Committee, and resumed the killing of Department, without a dissenting vote, 



seals in 1910, taking 12,920 that year, of or a ivord spoken on the floor! 

 which 7,733 were so taken in violation This fur seal treaty now in effect is 



of his own rules and the law. This vio- exactly as I drew its terms in 1905, and 



lation is now a matter of official record as it was approved then by John Hay, 



and is indisputable. Sir Mortimer Durand, the British Am- 



This stirred the Camp Fire Club to bassador, and the Alaskan Committee, 



renewed action and, on Jan. 9, 1911, consisting of Senators Dillingham, Nel- 



Senator Knute Nelson introduced a bill son and Burnham. This proof of its 



(S. 9959) which peremptorily sus- origin was distinctly given to the Sen- 



pended Nagel's work on the islands and ate when the bill putting it into effect 



renewed the demand for a treaty to pre- wa s passed by the Senate, August 15, 



vent pelagic sealing. I sent to Senators 1912, by Senators Nelson and Dilling- 



Nelson, Dillingham and Dixon the ham, and not disputed by a single soul 



proof of Canada's willingness to imme- on that floor, but admittetd as such by 



diately sign with the State Department Senator Root. 



a fur seal treaty based on the Hay-El- ^ hy was this bill putting into effect 



liott memorandum, and Senator Dixon that treaty of July 7, 1911, not passed 



himself, on January 19, 1911, took this until August 15, 1912? Why was a bill 



proof to the Department of State. It introduced December 21, 1911, not 



was not denied there, and the officials acted upon until the late date just cited? 



concerned declared that this treaty The reason is that its opponents delib- 



would be speedily taken up with Can- erately drew a bill at the opening of the 



ada ; that it would be submitted to the session, in December last, which, if not 



Senate "in a few days," etc. amended, zvonld have nullified the ex- 



On February 2, 1911, having heard press terms of the treaty itself and de- 



that this treaty was not being taken up, feated the attainment most desired by 



Senator Dixon called a meeting of his the treaty makers the restoration of 



Committee on Conservation of National this pitiful remnant of the herd now 



Resources for February 4, 1911, and surviving, to its former fine form and 



summoned Hornaday, Nagel and my- numbers! 



self to appear and to be heard on the It should be distinctly and firmly held 



Nelson bill (S. 9959), then pending be- in mind that this killing "section 



fore it. The Committee asembled and 11" of that bill was drawn so that 



Messrs. Hornaday, Nagel and his offi- the killing should be continued on 



