150 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



capturing them, I entertain a confident hope that all further difficulty 

 upon the questions discussed in this note may be avoided. 



I deem it necessary, however, to say that the Government of the 

 United States will, should occasion arise, firmly insist upon its inter- 

 pretation of the treaty and that it reserves the right to protest against 

 and oppose the submission to, and reception by, the Arbitrators of any 

 matter which may be inserted in the British Counter Case, which may 

 not be justified as relevant by way of reply to the Case of the United 

 States. 



The President is further gratified by the readiness manifested by 

 Lord Eosebery to concur with the Government of the United States 

 in respect to such extension of time as may be needed in dealing with 

 the Eeport, of which he has furnished a copy. This friendly offer will 

 be communicated to the Counsel on behalf of the United States, and 

 their wishes will be made known to your Legation or the British 

 Agent. 



I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your 

 obedient servant, 



John W. Foster. 



[Inclosure.] 



Mr. Blaine to Mr. Foster. 



17 Madison Place, 



Washington, November 8, 1892. 



Sir: After an arbitration had been resolved upon between the Am- 

 erican and British Governments, a special correspondence between the 

 Department of State and Lord Salisbury ensued, extending from early 

 in July to the middle of November, 1891. The various subjects which 

 were to be discussed and the points which were to be decided by the 

 Arbitrators in the affair of the Bering Sea were agreed upon in this 

 correspondence. 



A month later Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British Minister, and my- 

 self arranged the correspondence and reduced the propositions and 

 counter-propositions to a memorandum which was signed by us on the 

 18th of December. Subsequently the questions which had arisen be- 

 tween the two Governments concerning the jurisdictional right of the 

 United States in the waters of the Behring Sea were expressed in the form 

 of a treaty concluded at Washington on the 29th February, 1892. This 

 treaty was advised by the Senate on March 29, 1892, ratified by the 

 President on April 22, ratifications exchanged on May 7, and proclaimed 

 on May 9, 1892. 



In all these steps, including the correspondence with Lord Salisbury, 

 the memorandum concluded between Sir Julian and myself, and the 

 treaty that was ultimately proclaimed on the 9th May, 1892, and which 

 was negotiated by Sir Julian and myself, not one word was said or inti- 

 mated respecting the question now raised by the British Government 

 as to a secondary submission of evidence after the first five points set 

 forth in Article vi had been decided by the Arbitrators. It was never 

 intimated that any other mode of proceeding should be had than that 

 which is expressed in Articles in, iv, and v of the treaty. 



I shall be surprised if Sir Julian Pauncefote shall differ in the slight- 

 est degree from this recital of facts. 



I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 



James G. Blaine. 



