56 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



with an equal birth-rate of the two sexes permits a large num- 

 ber of males to be removed with impunity from the herd ; 

 that the killing of females far in excess of the natural yearly 

 increment is the cause of the reduction of the herd ; that 

 actual extermination of the herd is not threatened so long as 

 the seals are protected on the island ; that the diminution of 

 the herd had already reached the point when the sealing in- 

 dustry either at sea or on the islands had become unprofitable. 



Sir Wilfred Laurier, the Canadian Premier, and Sir Louis 

 Davies, Minister of Marine from Ottawa, happened in Wash- 

 ington during the course of the meetings of the seal experts. 

 Negotiations of an informal character were then and there 

 entered upon with them for the purpose of temporarily set- 

 tling the sealing question upon the basis of the joint findings 

 of the scientific commission, the object being to bring about 

 as soon as possible a formal consideration of the question by 

 the British and the United States Governments. Mr. Foster's 

 proposal, however, for a modus vivendi " providing for a com- 

 plete suspension of the killing of seals in all the waters of the 

 Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea for one year from December, 1 897, 

 and for a suspension of all killing of seals on the Pribyloff Islands 

 for the same period," was not favorably received by the Cana- 

 dians. " There are difficulties in agreeing to that proposition 

 which I fear will be found insuperable," wrote Sir Wilfred Lau- 

 rier to Mr. Foster. " The fleet is preparing as usual ; the pro- 

 hibition of pelagic sealing for a year would practically destroy 

 the business for several years, because the masters, the mates, 

 and the crews, for the larger part belonging to other parts 

 of Canada, would leave British Columbia. The sum which 

 would likely be demanded as compensation is far beyond 

 what it would be possible for us to induce Parliament to vote, 

 even if we could recommend it. ... I am in hopes that 

 you will not press for the immediate suspension of pelagic 

 sealing." So these efforts toward a preliminary discussion 

 of the regulation proved after all to be fruitless. 



This last attempt, like the many others on the part of the 

 United States to induce Great Britain to modify the Paris 

 sealing regulations of 1893 before the end of the stipulated 



