Foreign Relations of the United States, 1902, Whaling and Sealing Claims Against Russia, On Account of Arrest and Seizure of the American Vessels “Cape Horn Pigeon,” “James Hamilton Lewis,” “C. H. White,” and “Kate and Anna,” Appendix I

EXHIBIT H.

[Washington, May 26/June 8, 1889]

Telegram from the Chargé d’Affaires of Russia at Washington to the Minister of Foreign Affairs at St. Petersburg of May 26 (June 8), 1889.

Your interpretation of the proclamation of the President is perfectly correct, and Blaine has just repeated to me that American cruisers have instructions to carry it out to the letter.

We certainly may seize vessels convicted of having practiced prohibited sealing without fear that the Americans will not do likewise on their part. The terms “engaged in sealing,” or, according to the English, “engaged in hunting fur seals,” used in paragraph 9 of the memorandum draft, are sufficiently general to include the cases of flagrante delictu, as well as those wherein can be shown by conclusive proofs that a vessel had engaged in prohibited hunt before being sighted by a cruiser. It appeared to us, in discussing terms, inopportune and superfluous to further particularize even in the text of the memorandum, the proclamation of the President being very explicit in this respect and our executive administrative orders issued since 1882 being of the same tenor.