New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-07
THE ALASKA MAIL SERVICE

There Is occasion lOT cAcIl''n'Ht WV ''N
rcport that British mail service Is being estap-
lshed between Juneau and Forty Mile Creeh'
II Is lust what was to be expected ana Is
natural sequence of what has for some time peeh
going on in that region. few weeks ago. 1t
will be remembered. there was an announce
mont that the British had taken military pos
session of Forty Mile Creek. 1t was not qu''e
true. They had merely sent up company ol
mounted police TO keep order IN the mihihs
camps along the boundary line ana on po'i
sides of il; and they had done so NJ the earhe't
rcoIlcst of the American settlers as wei us vi
the Canadians The United States Government
apparently could not or would not anord pro''c-
ton to life and property. At any rate IL uiu
not do So 50 the British undertook the loo' ana
performed it well, but without any notion OF
territorial conquest. We are not sure, indeed
that they even expected to be paid for their ser
vicos hv the United States Government whose
work they were doing, though unquestonapiy
they should be paid.
Now il appears that or Government mas
failed TO give the Forty Nile Creek region
rronor mail service. and the British are about
to s,nnlv the deficiency. We DO not know why
our Government has failed. The Second AS
irving to establish mail route there and has
the money to do 50; but the season Is so snort
Yes That is very lnconsderate Of the season.
II ought TO initiate the Presidents Message, anu
stretch itself. The British, Of course are USED
TO short seasons. They live further nor'h 'haii
most of u.s. SO that difficulty does not paihe
them. Besides, they have geographical advah-
tacc. The shortest and readiest route from
A.. -, fish
Juneau TO Forty Mile Creek lies through britlsh
territory I'D the valley of the Taku RIVER, 10 TIE
be,dwotprs Of the Lewis River and thence down
,ho latter stream to the Yukon. 1t Is just as
,bonch the Canadians should organize service
,o carry United States mails from Buffalo to
PORT Huron by way Of the north shore OF Lake
Erie. instead Of our carrying them ourselves
by way of the south shore.
There can be no question of territorial sover-
eighty. Juneau is on Alaskan soil, many miles
from the Canadian boundary 1t Is not conceiv-
able that even the most aggressive Cahadi'n
should think Of acquiring It, or the most puSi'-
I,rimous American Cuckoo should think OF sur
rendering IT, As for Forty Mile Creek, IT IS
nortlv on one side of the boundary line ana
partly on the other. Concerning that fact there
* no dispute: only. as the Hist meridian mas
not vet been exactly marked, there Is niue
uncertainty as TO how much Of the place Is III
Alaska and how much in Canada The only qles
ton 10 be raised, therefore. is whether United
States mails ought to be carried from one United
States posoficc to another by United States
agents or by British or other foreign aSents
For our part we think they should be carried
bv United States agents We think the United
STATES Government should do all the work
police. postal. and what not-which properly
devoycs upon it. No doubt the British mall
carriers will do the work well, as the British
police at Forty Mile Creek are doing theirs. We
have no doubt that British syndicate would
be clad to undertake the job of administering
orr whole Government for u.s. including the writ
ing of Messages and the inspecting OF light
houses But that is not the way in which an
independent sclfrcspectng Nation should have
its work done Let Us pay off the British police
and the British mail carriers. and all the rest
Of them. and have American business transacted
by American officers under the American flag.