Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-24
Weakness That Invites Trouble.

kidered the richest mining iauCs Oh Aiaskd
under the assumption that the boundary
line needs readjusting. The Americans
who have made their homes in that part
Of the country say they cannot understand
the apathy Of our government toward this
important matter, aad that they them
selves win fight rather than surrender
the best part of Alaska to British Column
bia.
This line concerning which England
is now enjcavoring TO raise question,
was never called ia doubt SO long as
Russia owned Alaska. England and
Russia agreed upon that line forty-two
years before the United States In 1857
purchased the country. The treaty pro-
vised that the line should be drawn,
" commanding at the southernmost point
of the island called Prince of Wales
| island, which point lies in the parallel of
| 81 degrees, 40 minutes, north latitude,
degree of west longitude the same line
shall ascend to the north along the chan
mel called Portland channel as far as the
point of the continent" etc. After nearly
three quarters of a century, when gold IS
discovered in that territory AMI England s
cupiGity Is excited John Bull suddenly
discovered that not Portland channel but
Benin channel was meant in the treaty
Accepting EDgland's version OF that
boundary line and the lower point Of
Alaska, pan handle, as it is termed, 900
miles long and including 100 miles OF sea-
coast, several gold mines, one OF which Is
valued ut thirteen millions, immense fish
canning Industries coal mines and valu-
able forests, all this, which is Of III IRE
present value than the rest of Alaska,
would be lost to the United states. Our
govern ment has agreed to commission
now ut work upon the question.
Compare the situation with that in
Venezuela. There England runs its
own line and takes possession notwith
standing the strenuous objections Of
Venezuela; here line is agreed upon by
both parties interested and defined in
treaty There England not satisfied with
the first slice OF stolen territory seizes
more when it is learned that the land is
valuable; here England abides by the line
mutually agreed upon until the land on
the other side Is seen to DO immensely
valuable Then John Bull proposes to
pick a fuss. There had been no contcn-
ton about the line and this fact alone
ought to settle the question. 1t certainly
appears that the great land thief and
bully among nations should have been
told to keep within his own limits or be
kicked out. He il refusing to submit to
a commission line In South America
and that has never been agreed upon-an
arbitrary line drawn by himself and
maintained by force until such time as he
saw fit to exceed it himself. He tells this
country to keep its hands off and that un-
less Uncle Sam has protectorate over
Venezuela he has no right to interfere.
81 the same time John Bull suddenly
ends out that line which he assisted in
establishing and has helped to maintain
for over half a century Is all wrong. The
absurdity of the claim deserves the ridl-
Guile of the world, should be laughed out
of court. 1t Is so presumptuous, so I'M
just, 50 manifestly case of British bully
lng--unless the facts have been sup
pressed or greatly distortcd-that one
wishes Uncle Sam had refused to recog
nizc the claim, and If necessary had sent
few machine guns up along the Alaskan
boundary line as England has done along
the assumed British Guiana boundary.
War with England would be one of the
But it could result to no more disadvan-
age to this country than to England
That country has many entangliDg pos
SESSIONS, rivals eager to see her subdued
md ready to take advantage of any weak
ipot in her defensive armor, Russia with
England out of the way would dominate
europe and Asia. England cannot afford
20 have war with This country. John
Bull realizes that fact and if our national
administration was American to its
inger tips one that if it erred at all
would err on the side of Americas in
terests, on the side Of justice rather than
diplomacy, no country would be more
careful in dealing with us than this same
wary old England. But John Bull sees
| an altogether different condition of affairs
at Washington. He sees there o chief
| executive tyrannical in his official house
hold, but meek as lamb when dealing
with English diplomats; a man more i'm
pressed with the Importance of England
than with that of his own country; man
who probably never experienced q gen.
| uine thrill OF patriotism, one who in the
dark days of the rebellion probably sym
pathized rather with the South than the
| North but whose sympathies were de-
cidedly weak at best, who as young man
felt in slight il any degree his pulses
quickened by the call to arms and whose
only excitement at the time was aroused
by the necessity of finding substitute &c
| fight for him. OF course it may be as
sumed that he means all right, that ht