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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 radius。 But just at the nick of time Sir
Robert Morier intervened at St。 Petersburg。 No one but himself
and the temporary authorities of the Russian Foreign Office had；
or could have had； any knowledge of his manoeuver。 By the means
which his government gave him power to exercise； he in some way
secured privately； from the underlings above referred to as in
temporary charge of the Foreign Office； an agreement with Great
Britain which practically recognized a closed zone of only thirty
miles radius about the Russian islands。 This fact was telegraphed
just at the proper moment to the British representatives before
the tribunal； and； as one of the judges afterward told me； it
came into the case like a bomb。 It came so late that any adequate
explanation of Russia's course was impossible； and its
introduction at that time was strenuously objected to by our
counsel； but the British lawyers thus got the fact fully before
the tribunal； and the tribunal naturally felt that in granting us
a sixty…mile radiusdouble that which Russia had asked of Great
Britain for a similar purposeit was making a generous
provision。 The conditions were practically the same at the
American and Russian seal islands； yet the Russian officials in
charge of the matter seemed entirely regardless of this fact；
and； indeed； of Russian interests。 After secret negotiation with
Sir Robert； without the slightest hint to the American minister
of their intended sacrifice of their 〃identical interest with the
United States；〃 they allowed this treachery to be sprung upon us。
The sixty…mile limit was established by the tribunal； and it has
proved utterly delusive。 The result of this decision of the
tribunal was that this great industry of ours was undermined； if
not utterly destroyed； and that the United States were also
mulcted to the amount of several hundred thousand dollars；
besides the very great expense attending the presentation of her
case to the tribunal。
I now come back to the main point which has caused me to bring up
this matter in these reminiscences。 How was it that Great Britain
obtained this victory？ To what was it due？ The answer is simple：
it was due to the fact that the whole matter at St。 Petersburg
was sure to be decided； not by argument； but by 〃influence。〃 Sir
Robert Morier had what in the Tammany vernacular is called a
〃pull。〃 His government had given him； as its representative； all
the means necessary to have his way in this and all other
questions like it； whereas the American Government had never
given its representative any such means or opportunities。 The
British representative was an AMBASSADOR； and had a spacious；
suitable； and well…furnished house in which he could entertain
fitl