Bering Sea.

The United States has called the attention of Great Britain to the fact
that the Washington conference is in no way connected with the Paris
award. It has been repeatedly stated that its object is to be merely to
discover whether the seal herds are decreasing, and if so to decide upon
a means of preserving them. Any decision that shall be arrived at at the
Washington conference is to be binding on all nations interested in the
sealing industry.

Great Britain will not listen to this. She takes the stand that by the
terms of the Paris award the code of laws governing the sealing
fisheries will have to be revised every five years anyhow, and as the
first five years will be up in 1898, she does not see the use of
entering into the matter now. She therefore positively declines to take
part in the conference.

Those who are in a position to know say that England has been forced
into this position by Canada.

When Prof. D'Arcy Thompson returned from his trip to the seal islands
this year, he brought with him information that completely upset his
former statements and theories, and showed that the seals are decreasing
rapidly.

Canada became convinced that Russia, Japan, and the United States would
combine in an effort to have the seals carefully preserved, and
therefore she urged England to refuse to take part in the conference,
and thus give her time to consider what may be the best course for her
to take under the circumstances.