American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-11-09
The San Juan Boundary Decision.

A dispatch from Minister Bancroft at
Berlin. to the State Department at Wash
ington informs us that Emperor William of
Germany, to whom the question was sub
mitted by the treaty of Washington, has
decided the San Juan boundary dispute in
our favor. This gives us the fine harbor
ofSan Juan, which the dispute was really
about-the question between our govern
ment and that OF Great Britain being
whether the Haro channel. or the Rosario
channel is the one that comes legiti-
mately within the meaning of the treaty
of 1916. The treaty of 1916 was the set
tlrment of the :" 54:40 or fight Oregon
boundary dispute, and like some other
treaties, failed to entirely decide the mat
ter it attempted to adjust. The mainland
boundary Of 10 degrees north latitude
was clear enough; but there is an archi-
pclago lying off the coast where the
mainl; nd line strikes the Pacific ocean I;
and the treaty only vaguely declared that
the boundary line should be continued to
the middle of the channel which separates
the mainland from Vancouver, thence
southerly through the middle of said
channel and the strait of FUca as far as
the Pacific ocean. The northern part of
the channel thus described is sufficiently
plain, but in the south, it is little diff
cult to tell which of the many of the wa
ter CUTS between the islands was the chan
mel intended. The British government
claimed that the Rosario channel. having
a depth of five fathOnls and a width of
thr. e-Quarters OF Il mile, and lying
south OF the island OF San Juan, was the
true line, while our government insist
ed that the Haro channel, having
a depth of twenty-five fathoms and a
width of two and a half miles, and lying
north of the island of San Juan. was the
boundary. In the year 1853, Gen. Har-
ney, who commanded in Oregon, took the
American view and the island of San Juan
at the same time; he carried a force
across the channel to the island, occupied
it, and established his head quarters there
with such an emphasis of action as to Gre
ate a furry between the two governments
and raise a prOspcc. of war &: but Presi-
dent Buchanan sent Gen. Scott ont to the
ground, and he, by imparting some diplc-
macy to his treatment of the matter, pre-
vented the attack which the British troops
threatened to make on Harney's force. 1t
was finally arranged that both sides should
occupy the disputed island Jointly till it
should be decided who was the rightfrll
owner, and this joint occupation has con-
tinued down to the present time. By the
treaty of Washington the question was
referred to the Emperor of Germany, who
submitted it to a crown syndicate of three
of his most learned and eminent lawyers,
thoroughly versed in international law.
On the report of these jurists the emperor
has made "A decision in our favor ecid-
ing, if we understand Mr.. .Bancroft's lis
patch correctly, that the Haro channel is
the true boundary line indicated by geog-
! raphy and the treaty of 1916.
This decision gives to us the island of
San Juan containing about so square
Males of area, and containing, what is OF
most value, wide and deep harbor, the
finest on the Pacific coast. When the Or
egon treaty was made in 1916, San Juan
| was thought to be of little value; we had
| no California and no Alaska, and little
other interest on that remote coast that
needed protection. But the rapid extern
sion of the Northern Pacific railroad and
| the growth of vast interests in that quar-
ter make the possession OF the disputed
harbor another step to our future mastery
] OF the Pacific Oce;in.-Misso,tl't Republican,