Following the Japanese Sealers landing on St. Paul Island in July, 1906, Solicitor Edwin Sims (of the Department of Commerce and Labor) was dispatched to the Alaska Fur Seal Islands.

Edwin Sims did an investigation and wrote a rather concise report covering the U.S. Sealing operations, the poaching threat to the industry, the decline of the fur seal population, and recommendations for action.
Mr. Sims' report was critical of the actions of the U.S. Revenue-Cutter Service in the Bering Sea.

The Solicitors' report went up the 'chain of command' to the White House and 'Teddy' Roosevelt.
The President reacted and was ready to send in the Marines!

Scathing rebuttal letters and objections came from the Revenue-Cutter Service, (which was under the Treasury Department).

(IMHO - It does appear, however, cooperation, performance, tactics, and aggressiveness of the Revenue-Cutter Service would be much improved in 1907, with the seizure of a number of violating vessels).

Many of Solicitor Edwin Sims' recommendations appear to have been acted upon, especially, in regard to increased ordnance on St. George and St. Paul Islands.

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