Sir Julian
Pauncefote to Mr. Gresham.
British
Embassy,
Washington, February 6,
1895.
Sir: I have the honor to forward to you
herewith, in accordance with instructions which I have received from the
Earl of Kimberley, copy of a note addressed to his lordship by M. de
Staal, Russian ambassador at the court of St. James, respecting the
protection of the fur-seal species.
The Russian ambassador states that the Russian Government can only adhere
to the regulations prescribed by the award of the Tribunal of
Arbitration for the protection and preservation of the fur-seal species,
provided that they shall be extended to the whole of the Pacific Ocean
north of the thirty-fifth degree of latitude.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
M. de Staal to
the Earl of Kimberley.
London, December 19,
1894.
My Lord: On the 20th August last your
excellency was kind enough to inform me of the desire expressed by
the Government of Her Britannic Majesty to see Russia adhere to the
terms of the treaty of Washington concluded in 1892 between the
British and American Governments for fur sealing in the Pacific
Ocean.
Having communicated to my Government the desire expressed by your
excellency, I am to-day able to make known to you the tenor of the
reply of the Imperial cabinet to your proposition.
The Russian Government having for its fisheries the same duties of
protection as the two contracting powers in regard to their
respective subjects, our adhesion to the arbitral regulation is
subordinate to the condition that the measures prescribed by the
arbitrators and stipulated by the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration
shall be extended to the whole of the Pacific Ocean north of the
thirty-fifth degree of north latitude, and in general to the Russian
fisheries in Bering Sea and around the Robben Islands.
This condition is imposed upon us by the legitimate care for our
interests in those regions and by the nature of the agreement to be
established. Its purpose can not be destroyed, in fact, if the
protection of the fisheries is limited (art. 2 of the arbitral
award) to the eastern portion of those waters. Besides, this limit
would be defined by an imaginary line and might give rise to
misunderstandings.
I have been requested to bring the above to the knowledge of the
Government of Her Britannic Majesty.
In fulfilling this duty near your excellency, I have, etc.,
