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mothers make long excursions to fishing…banks at distances of
from one to two hundred miles。 The return of these seal herds；
and these food excursions； were taken advantage of by Canadian
marauders； who slaughtered the animals； in the water； without
regard to age or sex； in a way most cruel and wasteful； so that
the seal herds were greatly diminished and in a fair way to
extermination。 Our government tried to prevent this and seized
sundry marauding vessels； whereupon Great Britain felt obliged；
evidently from political motives； to take up the cause of these
Canadian poachers and to stand steadily by them。 As a last
resort； the government of the United States left the matter to
arbitration； and in due time the tribunal began its sessions at
Paris。 Meantime； a British commission was； in 1891…1892； ordered
to prepare the natural…history material for the British case
before the tribunal； and it would be difficult to find a more
misleading piece of work than their report。 Sham scientific facts
were supplied for the purposes of the British counsel at Paris。
While I cannot believe that the authorities in London ordered or
connived at this； it is simple justice to state； as a matter of
fact； that； as afterward in the Venezuela case；＇1＇ so in this；
British agents were guilty of the sharpest of sharp practices。
The Russian fur…seal islands having also suffered to a
considerable extent from similar marauders； a British commission
visited the Russian islands and took testimony of the Russian
commandant in a manner grossly unfair。 This commandant was an
honest man； with good powers of observation and with considerable
insight into the superficial facts of seal life； but without
adequate scientific training； his knowledge of English was very
imperfect； and the commission apparently led him to say and sign
just what they wanted。 He was somehow made to say just the things
which were needed to help the British case； and not to say
anything which could hurt it。 So absurd were the misstatements to
which he had thus been led to attach his name that the Russian
Government ordered him to come all the way from the Russian
islands on the coast of Siberia to St。 Petersburg； there to be
reexamined。 It was an enormous journeyfrom the islands to
Japan； from Japan to San Francisco； from San Francisco to New
York； and thence to St。 Petersburg。 There； with the aid of a
Russian expert； I had the satisfaction of putting questions to
him； and； having found the larger part of his previous alleged
testimony to be completely in conflict with his knowledge and
opinions； I forwarded this new testimony to those in charge of
the American case before the Paris tribunal； in the hope that it
would place the whole matter in its true light。 With it was also
presented the concurring testimony taken by the American experts
who had been sent to the Behring Sea。 Those experts were Drs。
Mendenhall and Merriam； scientists of the highest character； and
their reports were； in every essential particular； afterward
confirmed by another man of science； after study of the whole
question in the islands and on the adjacent seasDr。 Jordan；
president of Stanford University； probably the highest authority
in the United Statesand； perhaps； in the worldregarding the
questions at issue： a pupil and friend of Agassiz； a man utterly
incapable of making a statement regarding any point in science
which he did not fully believe； no matter what its political
bearing might be。
＇1＇ See my chapter on the Venezuela Commission for the trick
attempted by British agents in the first British Blue Book on
that subject。
And now to another feature of the case。 Before leaving Washington
for St。 Petersburg； I had consulted with the Secretary of State
and the leading persons in charge of our case； and on my way had
talked with Count Shuvaloff； the Russian ambassador at Berlin；
and all agreed that the interests of the United States and Russia
in the matter of protecting the seals were identical。 The only
wonder was that； this fact being so clear； the Russian Foreign
Office constantly held back from showing any active sympathy with
the United States in our efforts to right this wrong done to both
nations。
At my first presentation to the Emperor I found him； as already
stated； of the same opinion as the Washington cabinet and Count
Shuvaloff。 He was thoroughly with us； was bitter against the
Canadian marauders； agreed in the most straightforward and
earnest manner that the interests of Russia and the United States
in this question were identical； and referred severely to the
British encroachments upon both the nations in the northern
seas。＇2＇
＇2＇ See detailed account of this conversation previously given in
this chapter。
All went smoothly until I took up the subject at the Russian
Foreign Office。 There I found difficulties； though at first I did
not fully understand them。 The Emperor Alexander III was dying at
Livadia in the Crimea； M。 de Giers； the minister of foreign
affairs； a man of high character； was dying at Tzarskoye Selo；
and in charge of his department was an under…secretary who had
formerly； for a short time； represented Russia at Washington and
had not been especially successful there。 Associated with him was
another under…secretary； who was in charge of the Asiatic
division at the Russian Foreign Office。 My case was strong； and I
was quite willing to meet Sir Robert Morier in any fair argument
regarding it。 I had taken his measure on one or two occasions
when he had discussed various questions in my presence； and had
not the slightest fear that； in a fair presentation of the
matter； he could carry his point against me。 At various times we
met pleasantly enough in the anterooms of the Foreign Office； but
at that period our representative at the Russian court was simply
a minister plenipotentiary and the British representative an
ambassador； and as such he； of course； had precedence over me；
with some adventitious advantages which I saw then； and others
which I realized afterward。 It was not long before it became
clear that Sir Robert Morier had enormous 〃influence〃 with the
above…named persons in charge of the Foreign Office； and； indeed；
with Russian officials in general。 They seemed not only to stand
in awe of him； but to look toward him as 〃the eyes of a maiden to
the hand of her mistress。〃 I now began to understand the fact
which had so long puzzled our State Departmentnamely； that
Russia did not make common cause with us； though we were fighting
her battles at the same time with our own。 But I struggled on；
seeing the officials frequently and doing the best that was
possible。
Meantime； the arbitration tribunal was holding its sessions at
Paris； and the American counsel were doing their best to secure
justice for our country。 The facts were on our side； and there
seemed every reason to hope for a decision in our favor。 A vital
question was as to how extensive the closed zone for the seals
about our islands should be。 The United States showed that the
nursing seals were killed by the Canadian poachers at a distance
of from one to two hundred miles from the islands； and that
killing ought not to be allowed within a zone of that radius；
but； on the other hand； the effort of the British counsel was to
make this zone as small as possible。 They had even contended for
a zone of only ten miles radi