, 1872-09-05
New York Staatszeitung.l
The San Juan Question.

Now that the danger of disruption
of the proceedings Of the Geneva tribu-
nal is past, the Emperor Of Germany, to
whom the United States and England
submitted the San Juan question, has
placed into the hands of the crown at
torney, at Berlin, all documents bearing
upon the subject, and as the matter is
not very complicated one, we may,
owing to the excellent geographers of
which Germany has no lack, expect a
verdict in very short time. Great in
terest will attach to this decision, not so
much on account of the Emperor Will
liam, whose connection, indeed, with the
matter is more formal than otherwise,
as because of the fact that German
science and learning will be brought in
to decide with impartial justice con-
trovery in which the two opposing par
ties have each for so many years con-
tended with the greatest obstinacy and
sincere conviction for the correctness of
its standpoint.
There is something very peculiar " ith
regard to the phraseology Of treaties
Had the Washington treaty been little
more precise and definite in its state
ments, England and the United States
would not have been under the necessi-
ty of quarrellng for half year about
the indirect damages; and had there
been little more care exercised in the
Ashburton, or Oregon Treaty. in 1876,
there would have been no San Juan
question, which at one time assumed a
very threatening aspect, and might haye
easily brought about third war between
England and the Uuited States.
At the time that treaty was made,
which was to fix the boundaries between
the British and American possessions,
there was but little value placed by
either party on the Island of San Juan
and the Gulf of Huro, and for this
reason it was neglected to specify
definitely on which side of the proposed
boundary line the island lay. Owing
to the discovery of gold at the mouth
of Frazer River, the island, lying be-
tween Vancouver's island and the main
land, became of some importance. Both
powers at once claimed it, and, under
the pretense that an American citizen
had received an insult at the hands Of
the British though the English, on
their part, denied the fact-Gen. Har-
ney, in the fall of 1853, occupied the is
land with few hundred troops
The English became very much ex-
cited over the affair, and the Governor
of Vancouver's Island threatened to
drive out the Americans by force of arms;
he, however, soon reconsidered the mat
ter, and contented himself with solemn
protest. The English Government, as
soon as the matter was brought to notice
sent sharp note to Washington, and if
the American Government had answered
in the same manner, the controversy
might have quickly assumed serious
aspect President Buchanan, however,
showed conciliatory disposition. He
explained that Gen. Harney had not oc-
cupied the island by the order of Gov
ernment, but that in his capacity of COM
general in the Oregon Terri
tory he had felt himself authorized and
obligated to do so, and when after this
the English Government also gave way
a little, it was agreed that, for the time
being, the island should be jointly oc-
cupied, the English to hold the northern
part of the island, and the Americans
the southern part, space of fifteen miles
to intervene between them.
This has been the condition of affairs
for the last fourteen years. The Eng
Iish have in the meantime repeatedly
made the offer of definite settlement