No. 25.
Mr. Hubbard to Mr. Bayard
.
Tokio, Japan , September 29, 1887. (Received October 24.)
Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 153 I have already had the honor to inform the Department of State that I would seek a personal [Page 1846] official conference with the minister for foreign affairs on the subject of the international protection of the fur-seal fisheries in Behring Sea.
The Japanese Government is anxious to enter into an arrangement or convention with the United States Government, invoking similar arrangement or convention with our Government for the protection of the fur-seal fisheries in the waters of their northern islands.
I expressly called attention to the waiver for this purpose, as expressed in your instruction No. 153, and in my dispatch No. 387, of any legal rights under former conventions; that my Government now desired to invite this co-operative protection of friendly powers of their fur-seal fisheries from wanton destruction without reference to said former conventions. Nevertheless, the Japanese Government requested as an especial favor that I would cable the Department of State, in order to save time, for certain documents mentioned in the subjoined cablegram, and for such specifications of said desired arrangement or convention as will be satisfactory and meet the wishes of my Government in that regard, and which might be reciprocally invoked for the protection of their own fur-seal fisheries.
I have, etc.,