* * * * *

Of late there has been a good deal of angry talk about the seal
question.

It is said that the United States has been acting in bad faith, in not
paying Canada the sum of $425,000 for unlawfully keeping her ships out
of the Bering Sea.

It has also been frequently stated that the Seal Arbitration Committee,
which met in Paris in 1893, decided that we must pay this sum. People
are inquiring why we don't pay it before we ask for England's help in
protecting the seals.

As a matter of fact, the United States does not owe any such sum.

The Paris tribunal said we had no right to prevent other ships from
entering the Bering Sea, and that we must pay damages to Canada for
having done so.

No sum of money was, however, agreed on.

Lord Salisbury and Secretary of State Gresham decided that, "subject to
the approval of Congress," $425,000 would be about a fair sum for us to
pay.

When the subject came up before Congress, it was found that many false
claims were being made, and that frauds of every kind were being
practised to get damages from us. The entire matter was therefore thrown
out, Congress refusing to agree to the payment of the $425,000.