THE FUR-SEALS AND THE BERING SEA AWARD 31 



Great Britain appointed Sir George Baden-Powell, M.P., 

 and Professor George Mercer Dawson commissioners to pro- 

 ceed to the Pribyloff Islands for the purpose of examining 

 injt-o the fur-seal fisheries. On the part of the United States, 

 Dr. C. Hart Merriam and Professor Mendenhall were se- 

 lected in like capacity the following February. 



Diplomatic efforts were immediately directed to shaping 

 the "disputed questions for inclusion in the proposed treaty, 

 and to preparing the issues in succinct form for presentation 

 to a tribunal of arbitration. In this matter some slight diffi- 

 culty was experienced by Sir Julian Pauncefote, Mr. Whar- 

 ton, and Mr. Blaine, especially in reference to questions 

 touching the liabilities of each for injuries alleged to have 

 been sustained by the other by reason of killing seals in. 

 Bering Sea, or through arrests, etc. In November a com- 

 promise agreement was reached upon the phraseology of this 

 troublesome count ; having framed all the issues, the nego- 

 tiators were finally able to sign a treaty at Washington on 

 February 29, 1892.^ 



The instrument opens with an expression that "The 

 United States of America and Her Majesty the Queen of 

 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, being 

 desirous to provide for an amicable settlement of the ques- 

 tions which have arisen between their respective governments 

 concerning the jurisdictional rights of the United States in 

 the waters of Bearing Sea, and concerning also the preser- 

 vation of the fur-seal in, or habitually resorting to, the said 

 sea, and the rights of the citizens and subjects of either coun- 

 try as regards the taking of fur-seal in, or habitually resorting 

 to, the said waters, have resolved to submit to arbitration the 

 questions involved. . . . ' 



The parties then determined upon a tribunal to be composed 

 of seven arbitrators, two to be appointed by the President of 

 the United States, two to be named by her Britannic Majesty, 

 one to be named by the President of. the French Republic, 

 and one each by the King of Italy and the King of Sweden 

 and Norway. The arbitrators were to meet in Paris within 

 a stipulated time. 



