Waterbury Democrat

HOW TO SAVE THE SEALS.
The Females to Be Branded So as to
Spoil Their Hides.
Prof. David Starr Jordan, of Stanford
university, lately returned from Wash-
ington, D. C., where he had been for
some weeks attending to matters con-
nected with the fur seal investigation.
Prof. Jordan went to Washington to see
that the Behring sea fur seal investiga-
tion was properly carried over from one
administration to the other. He was the
United States commissioner in the in-
vestigation made last summer at the
seal islands, and he is interested in see-
ing carried out his recommendations
for the protection of the seal herd.
Dr. Jordan said that steps would be
taken by the new administration look-
ing to a final settlement of the fur seal
question on the basis of the investiga-
tion made last summer. He said:
"Great Britain sent to the fur seal
islands a commission of her own, which,
in connection with the American com-
mission, has thoroughly investigated
the condition of the seal herd. This
commission agreed in all matters of fact
with the findings of the American com-
mission. Their report, however,
has
not yet been published.
"The only possible settlement of the
fur seal question lies in the total prohi-
bition of pelagic sealing. Great Brit-
ain will, therefore, doubtless be asked
to unite with the United States in some
equitable arrangement whereby killing
of females at sea can be done away with.
It is believed that Great Britain will not
refuse to unite with us in taking steps
to preserve the fur seals. However, in
case she should refuse to make any fair
arrangement, the United States will be
prepared to take the matter in its own
hands and protect its own interests by
aggressive measures. Steps will imme-
diately be taken to brand the female
seals in such a way as to destroy the
value of their skins and also to protect
the males by herding them in the salt
lagoon on St. Paul island during the
sealing season. Practical experiments
made last summer have demonstrated
the feasibility of these measures, and
their effect will be to put an end to the
business of pelagic sealing."—San Fran-
cisco Chronicle.