Mr. Sherman to Mr. Adam.
Washington, October 7, 1897.
Sir: I had the honor to receive in due course of the mail your note dated from Manchester, Mass., on the 22d ultimo, in which, in replying to my note of the 31st of August, you draw attention to the fact that Her Majesty’s Government has merely agreed to a meeting of experts nominated by the United States, Great Britian, and the Dominion of Canada; that Her Majesty’s Government never anticipated that this act would be construed as an assent to a proposal for an international conference; that neither Russia nor Japan have any experts in a position corresponding to that of the commissioners who have been carrying on investigations on the Pribilof Islands during the past two years, and that neither of the two countries in question possesses any direct interest in the herd frequenting those islands.
While I make careful note of these declarations on the part of your Government, I desire to say that neither in my note of the 31st of August nor in any other communication made by this Department to Her Majesty’s Government has the action of that Government been construed in any other manner than was warranted by the language employed by Lord Salisbury in his note to Mr. Hay of July 28 last, and by the circumstances which occasioned the sending of that note. His lordship’s note is in its terms a reply to the last paragraph of my instruction to Mr. Hay of May 10 last, and in that paragraph the British Government was invited to “a conference of the powers interested” in the preservation of the seals, and which powers, as appears from other portions of that instruction, were the United States, Great Britain, Russia, and Japan; but I recall to your attention the fact that his lordship’s note had been preceded by a conference early in July between him and Mr. Hay by special appointment, in which his lordship was informed that it was the desire of the Government of the United States to hold a conference at Washington, in October next, of the powers interested in the preservation of the seals: that Russia had already accepted an invitation to such conference; that there was reason to hope that Japan would also participate, and that the President desired that Her Majesty’s Government should also be represented.
His lordship was also informed that it was not expected that the powers taking part should be considered as pledged to any positive line of action, and that the meeting would be for consultation as to the best means of preserving seal life. In this conference his lordship promised to give Mr. Hay an answer after consulting with his colleagues of the colonial office. This interview was followed by another later in the month of July, in which the subject was alluded to, and an early answer to Mr. Hay’s invitation was promised. Lord Salisbury’s note of July 28 was acknowledged on the day following its date, and his lordship’s attention was recalled to the interviews in which it was made known that it was expected the Governments of Russia and Japan would be represented at the conference.
The Government of the United States has not understood that Great Britain was pledged to anything beyond the tenor of Lord Salisbury’s note of July 28. But I felt justified in construing it in the light of Mr. Hay’s interviews with, and his note of July 29 to, his lordship. In view of these facts I have proceeded upon the understanding that the delegates of Russia and Japan would be present at the meeting of the experts of the United States and Great Britain and would have the benefit [Page 308] of their observations and conclusions. I have also understood that if Great Britain should insist upon withdrawing from the conference after the experts had concluded their labors she would be free to do so.
In answer to your reference to the absence of expert knowledge on the part of Russia and Japan as to the Pribilof Islands, I beg to say that, however this may be, the United States has always contended that a proper understanding and settlement of the seal question involved a study of the conditions of seal life in the entire area of the North Pacific Ocean. Both the United States and Great Britain have proceeded upon this theory, as during the past two years, while they have been conducting investigations on the Pribilof Islands, they have likewise sent their scientists to study seal life on the Asiatic side of the same waters. I have presumed that in the contemplated conference the scientists of both the United States and Great Britain who have visited the Asiatic seal islands during the past two years would be present and give the Powers interested the benefit of their investigations. In addition to the useful information they would doubtless contribute, I am informed that the Russian Government has named the governor (and for many years a resident) of the Russian seal islands as one of its delegates to the conference; and I have no doubt the Japanese delegates will be able to furnish valuable expert knowledge of the general subject. I think, therefore, that it will be unfortunate for the proper solution of this long-debated question if the British Government should fail to have present its own scientist who has for the past two years visited the Asiatic seal islands, or should not receive the information which the Russian and Japanese delegates may be prepared to submit to the conference.
It is true, as asserted by Lord Salisbury, that neither Russia nor Japan possesses any direct interest in the seal herd frequenting the Pribilof Islands, but .that fact has not heretofore been regarded as a bar to their admission to the conferences of the United States and Great Britain when this herd was under consideration. His lordship will recall the joint conference which took place in London between himself, the American minister, and the Russian ambassador in 1888, and the tripartite conference of the Secretary of State, the British and Russian ministers in Washington in 1890. In inviting the October conference the President felt that the controversy respecting the fur seals had been so long and serious, and its rightful settlement so important and far-reaching, it would be a great aid to the ultimate and proper settlement of the long dispute if the United States and Great Britain would avail themselves of the information and experience of the Russian and Japanese Governments.
Having made such response as seemed necessary to your note of the 22d ultimo, I have now to acknowledge the receipt yesterday afternoon of your note bearing that date, in which you inform me that Mr. Hay made a communication on the 27th ultimo to Her Majesty’s Government expressing the desire of the Government of the United States for the admission of delegates from Russia and Japan to the meeting of experts respecting the fur-seal question; that you are instructed by Lord Salisbury to point out that such a course would change the character and object of the meeting of experts nominated by Great Britain, Canada, and the United States; that it will not be possible for Her Majesty’s Government to send a delegate to a meeting constituted in a manner suggested by Mr. Hay on the 27th ultimo, and that your Government fails to perceive that any useful purpose could be served by [Page 309] the participation of Russia and Japan in a meeting to consider the state of the Pribilof seal herd.
In response to these statements I beg to say that Mr. Hay has advised me that under my instructions he called at the foreign office on the 23d ultimo, and in the absence of the principal secretary for foreign affairs he saw the permanent undersecretary for foreign affairs and represented to him the earnest desire of the Government of the United States that as early a date as possible should be fixed for the meeting of the conference, which had been agreed upon for the month of October between the British, Russian, Japanese, and American Governments. The permanent undersecretary took note of Mr. Hay’s request and then stated to him that the British Government had only consented to a meeting of English, Canadian, and American experts. Mr. Hay expressed his surprise at this; referred to his conversations with Lord Salisbury in which he had expressly stated, without objection on the part of his lordship, that Russia and Japan would be invited to take part in the conference, and that in his note of July 29, in acknowledging receipt of his lordship’s note of July 28, he had immediately called to his attention the fact of the invitation having been extended to Russia and Japan, without objection from the British Government. This interview having been reported by telegraph to me, the views of the President on the subject were communicated to Mr. Hay confirming his understanding of the conference, and he was again instructed to urge an early answer to the request to be informed when the British experts would arrive in Washington. Under these circumstances Mr. Hay visited the foreign office on the 27th ultimo, made known the views of this Government on the question raised in the previous interview, and again asked to be informed as to the arrival of the British representatives.
It will thus be seen that, so far from Mr. Hay having communicated “the desire of the Government of the United, States for the admission of delegates from Russia and Japan to assist at a meeting of experts,” his object was to urge upon the British Government to indicate the time when its delegates would arrive in Washington to attend the conference already agreed upon and the composition of which had been early made known to Lord Salisbury. No answer has yet been made to the inquiry which was the object of Mr. Hay’s visits to the foreign office on the 23d and 27th ultimo, and which was likewise the subject of my note of August 31 last. If, at the late date of Mr. Hay’s visit referred to, a request had been made for the first time for the admission of delegates from Russia and Japan to a meeting of experts from the United States and Great Britain, his lordship might well claim “that such a course would change the character and object of the meeting.” But it has been shown that early in July last his attention was called to the character of the conference solicited by the United States and was informed that Russia had already accepted an invitation to participate in it and that Japan was also expected to take part. It was likewise known to his lordship that the Government of the United States had for three years past been seeking to bring about such a conference, and not until Mr. Hay’s visit on the 23d ultimo was this Government aware of any objection on the part of the British Government to the participation of the representatives of Russia and Japan in the conference which it had been agreed should be held in October.
The Government of the United States having extended invitations to the Governments of Russia and Japan to attend the conference, and both of these Governments having accepted the invitation, this Government [Page 310] will make the necessary arrangements to receive their delegates and hold the conference during the present month as agreed upon, and it anticipates that its deliberations will be fruitful of good results.
It will be a source of deep regret to the President if the British Government will not participate in this conference, but he directs me to say to you that this Government will still hold itself ready to meet during the present month by proper representation such delegates as the British Government may nominate for the object set forth in Lord Salisbury’s note of July 28 last. I have therefore to request that you will communicate the fact of this readiness on the part of the President to his lordship as promptly as possible, in order that, if agreeable to him, the meeting may be fixed for a date as early in the month as practicable.
I have, etc.,