The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-11
One Shallow Excuse Canada Finds
to Change the Alaskan
Boundary.
WHAT THE DOMINION WANTS.
The Question of How Far a Gun Can
Shoot May Decide the Con.
troverSy.

In regard to the present controversy be-
tween Great Britain and the United States
concerning the line of demarkation be-
| tween Alaska and Canada, 6. B. Swine
hart, editor and proprietor of the Alaska
Mining Record of Juneau, makes some in
teresting discoveries as to what Canada
really desires to gain in the matter and
the two points of the old treaty made by
Russia and Canada, on which she bases her
claims.
1.-THE question has not been rightly
stated at all,'' said Mr.. Swinehart last
evening. "The papers have said that the
dispute arose as to whether the line of be-
ginning should be along the outer contour
made by the islands or from the actual
coast line. The old treaty which the
nited tates accepted runs like this:
The line of demarkation shall begin from the
southerly points of Prince of Wales Island and
extend northerly through Portland Channel to
the first summit of mountains running parallel
to the coast follow the mountains around the
curve OF the coast line to the 141st parallel,
and thence northerly to the frozen seas. When
there are no mountains then distance shall
be measured ten marine leagues from the
actual coast line.
Now, it is necessary to draw line due
east In order to reach Portland Channel
from the island mentioned. Canada ig-
nores the words Portland Channel and
claims 1t is necessary 60 go north from the
island. This line passes through Boring
Canal and gives to Canada in the region
gained rich gold mines.
again, every inlet was considered the
open sea as far up so that cannon shot
fired across it from side to side would not
reach the further shore. A cannon shot
In those days was considered as three
miles. This gives Takon Inlet and Lynn
Canal to the United States, as some dis
lance must be travelled up Takon Inlet be-
fore cannon shot of three miles range can
reach across, and Lynn Canal is five miles
wide up nearly to the end.
''Thls now is the excuse Canada gives for
claiming these lnlets as her own: A gun
nowadays will shoot more than three
miles-in fact about twelve; therefore she
says that these inlets are not the open sea
and the coast line joins across the outer
heads of each inlet
"If this were granted then Canada would
have two valuable harbors where she
might build towns and custom houses,
control all inland trade and compel the
American miners to go around 1900 miles
by the mouth of the Yukon to reach their
own possessions.
Canada is willing to submit the matter
to arbitration, but after the question has
become more involved she will say, Let
the rest go, but give me Lynn Canal
Nov Lynn Canal is the keynote to the
whole situation. 1t is the most valuable
point of entry on the Alaskan coast.
"Twenty-four miles from it, through the
Chilkat Pass, rises the mighty Yukon. 1t
is through this pass that our miners 60 to
reach their possessions, and through which
is carried all their supplies. If Canada
owned this inlet it would virtually shut
the United States out of its own property.
Juneau is not the town wanted; it is the
Chilkat Pass.
even though the modern distance of a
cannon-shot could be made to apply to
this inlet, still, as the ridge which divides
the Lynn Canal from the headwaters of the
Yukon is not only a summit but water
she'd the United States should claim it
anyway"