New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-02
RRTTISH SERVICES ~ ALASKA.

That the British flag is flying over what Is be-
loved to be the soil Of the United states. ana
that beneath It's folds British police and customs
officers are exercising their authority over citi-
zcns Of this country. has long been known. Just
why such a state OF affairs is tolerated has not
been generally known until now. We published
Yesterday dispatch from Ottawa which eX-
uloined il fully, from the British point OF view.
on the authority Of the Canadian Government.
From that It appears that the United States Gov
ernment alone Is responsible for such an inya-
sion of its territory and usurpation Of It's rights.
The scene OF 1t Is the mining region or the Upper
Yukon River, and its tributary, Forty Mile
Creek Gold was discovered there few years
ago close TO the boundary line between Alaska
and British Ame lea. and indeed on both sides
Of IL There was a great influx Of miners ana
traders from the United States There was also,
Of course. need of increased mail service and
nolice protection The settlers asked our Coy
eminent to supply It. Our Government. for some
reason, neglected to do So Thereupon. to save
the region from anarchy. appeal was made to
the Canadian Government. 1t promptly respond
cd II sent up a squad of mounted police and
collector Of customs. The British flag was run
M over Fort Cudahy and order was restored
supreme along The whole boundary line from
Mount St Elias 10 the Arctic Ocean, and on both
sides of IT, British officers are doing our work
for us and taking for II such pay as they can get
That is not pleasant information for Americans.
but we see no reason to doubt It's accuracy. We
have been accustomed to seeing Great Britain
and other European Powers intervene in behalf
Of order In various weak demorallzed or half
savage countries We appauded such conduct IN
Egypt. in Turkey and elsewhere. But That Il
foreign Power should thus invade United States
territory is a novelty more startling than agree
able Such, however. seems TO be the case, ana,
taking this Ottawa statement as true, we are
free 10 say there is no occasion to resent 1t or
to find fault with Great Britain for IT, On the
contrary the British are entitled to our thanks
and we are by no means sure they ought not 10
have even more substantial remuneration Tor
thcir services We do not know how much the
custom house receipts amount to. but II thsy
are not enough to pay for me services OF IN
spertor Constantine and his squad of policemen.
the remainder ought TO be paid ont of the United
States Treasury. even II ii takes another bond
issue TO do IT, We certainly do not want any
| body 10 do our work fO us for nothing. Those
| Northwestern mounted policemen are splendid
fellows and deserve good pay. All the blame
must rest upon our own Government, which
| appears TO have neglected It's manifest duty in
| deporabc manner.
! Uumlatlng 40 the incident is. IL has, how
| ever. It's amusing side. 1t is giving TO some
feather-headed penny-a-liners royal chance to
exploit their ignorance before Il grinning world:
and they are making the most of It. They as
sumo. with cOcksure seriousness. that this settles
! fine whole Alaska boundary question and settles
Il adversely to the United States. The fact Is,
Of course. as the merest beginner in geography
| knows that ii has practically no bearing upon
/ thar question If there is any dispute over the
! boundary in that part Of Alaska. no one at Wash
/ ington or Ottawa or London has ever heard of
II. The line runs along the 14lst meridian,
from Mount ST. Elias to the Arctic Ocean. No
body disputes that and all that is needed is to
have that meridian accurately marked. The
DISPUTED boundary is hundreds Of miles away
along the eastern side of the Alaska pan
handle" It Is there that hundreds OF miles OF
land are at stake the ownership depending upon
/ whether "P-0-r-t-l-a-n-d' spells Portland or
Benin and whether the coast means ;he edge
Of the continent or the outer edges Of some strag-
Cling islands 1t is far cry from the Stickeen
River to Forty Mile Greek; six hundred miles
rs the crow flies. and perhaps thousand as men
travel: and those two streams will not flow in
| the same channel, not even 10 please cuckoo
opologist or = Canadian lingo. 70 say that the
drawing Of line on the Upper Yukon, which
has never for moment been in dispute settles
the drawing of another and entirely different
disputed boundary. from four 10 eight hundred
miles away, Is TO promote the gayety of nations
and arouse the laughter Of the gods.