New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-24

( ~ Tho American contention Is that the
Treaty Of 1872 meant what II said ana inc po"h
Diary should be where that instrument pia'cu !"
The British contention is that the treaty iheah'
MOI what il said but something IT ala moi say
and The boundary should be not where the treaty
an, :, Inn where present British interests seem
to dictate.
Nothing could be more explicit than the Treaty
Of 1s15 1t says the boundary line "shaii aScehn
oIoro the channel called Portland Channel Bu'
creot Britain now says not Portland Olt bchhl
Channel WAS meant Why: Portland means
por,,ond II does not mean Benin. any more
than Hudson River means Hell Gate. Portland
Channel wos pcrfcctly well known nj that time
bv that name. 1t is Il piece OF gratui'ous I'M
,,or,ircnca to say at this date. seventy years
after that Benin Channel was meant ana that
c,,.,,ror1 Canning and Count Ncssclrode ncg0-
,ioted and signed an important treaty without
reading the text Of it or knowing what II was
about. Such a contention bears evident inSin-
oor;tv unon lis face lust as did the tricky map
making Of 1889 II is Just such a device as that
rcsortcd TO by the same and-grabbihg rover ~
vcpczucla. where Esscquito is made 10 read
OrinOcO.
As In the Venezuelan case too me bri''sh iho
tive Is altogether patent. In NencZn'a 10 nio'c'
ment for spoliation was made uniii goa hau De'''
discovered and the region was seen I" ne 'aiu
able Then the British went in To gam coh'r'i
Of the whole Orinoco Valley SO in Alaska. Inc
old and true boundary was left uhdiS'uro'u anu
uuchallcngcd until great mineral wealth. iiau pe'i
discovered Then the British lines were arpl'
trarily advanced 10 take in The fch region ana
to secure control of the southern approaches I'D
the great Yukon basin. The value OF Inc terri
tory in dispute. which covers IN area OF 'h"u-
sands Of square miles. is almost beyond 'aichia-
lion. II has hundreds OF miles OF accessible
coast. some OF the richest fishing waters III 'h'
world. the chief coal mines IT Alaska. ana g""i
and other mineral deposits Of ne>'linibi' W'ai'n'
It's coal alone makes ii of singular importance
f., this country for il is one Of the NV" natural
coallpc stations we have on the faclnc '"aS''
rho o,hcr * on Puget Sound. the entrance 10
uh,ch i dnminatcd bv the Gibraliar-likc British
f,r,r.sses of Esnuimaulr With the Alaska mines
,,ken from us. and Puget Sound closed, we
,hould NOT hayc an accessible coal field on The
entire coast
British and American surveying parties nave
now been In the field for some time. r-inarhihg
thc rival boundary lines and collecting da'a 'or
The final arguments over them. lhcy are !"
finish their work this year, and soon Thereafter
We shall know to whom the coveted territory II
hcnccforih 10 belong II is iniimhird 'hit me
British surveyors are doing their work more 'hor-
oughly than ours and will thus be able I" pre-
sent stronger ease. However mat may "'
and however the dispute may uliima'rl! De- "''
cded. il : well fo bear distinctly in nina now
the ease originated. by what methods Great hfi'-
ain has pressed her claims. and with what CD
icc she seeks 10 acquire b.g slice "f h!'ci
States territory.