The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-06
TIE ALASKA BOUNDARY.

New York sun

New York sun
The coming session Of congress can hardI
" fail 80 take note OF the extraordinary
caa.rn set NJ ny CasaSas 20 a portion Of
Southeastern Alaska. That claim. &. IS
true. dates hack eight years. 70 the DELHI
eaton o. a new boundary line on pora3n-
son maps: bat it is only OF late tha. the
question has become urgent. through the
growing value ~ the mining region close
uroR the boundary. and with reports. noe
confirmed. 81 attempts Of the Dominion to
EXERCISE . practical Jurisdiction Up IN her
claims.
The area covered by these encrcachments
consists Of vRiuzh bic timber and mineral
lands, but is chief feature Is that OF car
ry4ng British Columbia jurisdiction down
to various inIess on the coast line. al
though tire ralnanls object Of the treaty OF
lsS. which defines the boundary. was to
pat the coast jurisdiction in the hands Of
Russia whose title now belongs 20 rs by
purchase.
There IS no dispute as so the northern
part OF the boundary line. from ths neigh
horhood OF Mount 81. Elias 10 the Arctic
ocean. because there IL follows the lust
meridian Of west longitude. which can he.
and at certain points has been. mathemati-
caily ascertained. The trouble Is from
Mount 81. ELIAS southwark 20 the southern
most point OF Prince of Wales island.
which - the starting point OF the treaty
Inc. The boundary. as we trace il, starts
eastward from that point 10 the main
shore OF the continent, and. going up Port
land canal. between Fort simpson and
Cape Fox. proceeds thence narthwarNi. fol-
lowing the treaty direction 70 keep "ten
marine leagues from the ocean mp to a
point in thu region OF Mount Falrweather.
and thence. Sun az the treaty distance
from the coast. continues northwesterly
up 70 Mount ~ h.llas. where the lslsE
meridian Ia struck.
The british flua raaaS IN YsNsv,, nhaun.8
which Is many miles west Of what we call
Portland canal. on the assumption that
Tue former Is the Portland canal men,
toned by the treaty. Then Il arbitrarily
assumes that the ten marine leagues are 20
be measured from the shores or certain
Islands along the coast. instead OF from
tho mainland coast.
The result would he 70 transfer to Great
Britain nj the southern extremity of this
coast strip several large Islands. includ-
inz our well-known settlement OF New
Metakahtla and a slice Of the mainland
Then. proceeding northward nearer tho
coast at every point than our line, thu
british boundary approaches Juneau and
crosses Lynn canal so near Admiralty ISL
and as 70 secure for Great Britain rsra-
mid haraor Chilkat. Halnes and the Pres
byterian mission In that region. In like
manner IL crosses Glacier bay well toward
is mouth, and runs but little east oc
Mount Fairweather
In the old days, when "a degrees 90 min
utes was the parallel considered by us as
our proper northern boundary. and when
"si-40. or fight" was in some quarters a
popular cry. we accepted instead the 4ath
parallel and even consented. at Great Brit
AIMS urgency, that the line should be de-
fiected far below the Asth parallel al tire
coast, In order to give her the whole OF
Vancouver island. as not TO have that
island under two jurisdictions. Very soon
afterward. in spite Of oar concession as 70
Vancouver island. Great Britain claimed
that Rosario straits.and not the Haro canal.
Vancouver Great Britain claimed that
Rosario straits, and not the Haro canal,
WAS the true main ship channel mentioned
in the treaty as the boundary line agreed
upon. This would have given her the san
Juan group and brought her close upon
our coast. The question was put 10 ths
emperor or Germany as referee, and hts
decision was for the United States.
The analogy between the claim thus put
forward by Great Britain al that time, in
an attempt 10 substitute some other chan
mel or canal for the one mentioned In the
treaty, and her present attempt TO do tho
same thing In settling the Alaska boundary.
is very striking. Her other assumption.
that the line parallel to the winding OF tho
coast" mentioned In the treaty OF 1875.
means line parallel 10 the winding OF ls-
ands along the coast. il fit sequel to tho
pretense on which Great Britain sought II
lay hold upon the San Juan group.