Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-25
TRIMMED 1T.
The british Claim 90 n Large slice
of Atnska.

CINCINNATI Enquirer.
Great Britain manifcsts disposition TO
move the boundary between Alaska and Brit
ish Columbia to the westward, for the purpose
Of taking in the newly discovered gold region
in Alaska To accomplish this it will only
be necessary for her to satisfy the United
States government that the northwestern
coast of this continent does not refer to the
continental coast at ALL but to the western
| coast of the Islands adjacent to the continent
| and, further to show that the Portland chan
mel is not the Portland channel at all, but
| that another channel to the westward is the
| Portland channel.
In 1925 a treaty was made between Great
| Britain and Russia in which the boundary
| line OF Russia was arranged and established
| to the satisfaction OF those two nations. This
was in disregard Of the trifling fact that Great
Britain at that time laid no claim herself to
| the exclusive right to a single foot of terri
tory west of the Rocky mountains. This fact
was stated by Messrs. Husk!sson and Addison
as late as 1927, in their negotiations with this
government concerning the northwestern
boundary question
In 1867 Russia ceded all her possessions
in North America to the United States. and
In describing the territory SO conveyed the
description of the line of demarkation be-
tween the Russian and British possessions
was copied from the treaty between Russia
and Great Britain.
1t follows that whatever Great Britain ac
knowledgsd In 1926 as belonging to Russia.
she cannot now escape from acknowledging
as belonging to the United States. That
boundary consisted Of the Portland channel
to the fifty-sxth degree of north latitude,
and thence following the summit Of the
mountains" to the 1ilst meridian OF west
longitude and thence north to the Arctic
ocean. But 1t was provided that whenever
the mountain summit shall be more than
ten marine leagues from the coast, then
there shall be substituted as the boundary
line "a line parallel to the winding of the
coast, and which shall never exceed the dis
taEce of ten marine leagues therefrom."
For 81 years this boundary, fixed by
treaty, has been fully recognized by Great
Britain. Her maps and those Of the United
States have shown the same boundary line
Simultaneously with the recent discovery of
gold fields within the United States territory
OF Alaska the British government has made
the discovery that we ought to move our
boundary line SO that 1t will run along
line parallel to the windings Of the outside
coast of the islands, and that we must also
agree that the Portland Channel, men
toned in the treaty between Russia
and Great Britain in 1925. and which has al
ways been Portland channel, is no longer
Portland channel, and never was Portland
channel, and that the channel intended is
one Of another name, and which could not
by any possibility be made to harmonize
with the text of the treaty. BY some char
acteristic management she seems to have
priation of money for some new survey in
that region, while she has surveying party
in the same business.
Whatever her engineers may report. and
whatever any engineers may report the way
to deal with this question is for the pres
ident to inform Great Britain that IL there
is to be any removal Of any boundary lines
between American and British territory at
the northwest, we may decide to re-establish
the boundary which existed prior to 1886
when Mr.. Polks administration. under
dureso, surrendered British Columbia-then
portion of our own Oregon territory-to
Great Britain. as the price she extorted from
the United States for noninterference with
us in our war with Mexico.
II this should be deemed unnecessarily |
harsh a. first presentation of the case of
the United States, it might be modified so as
to say that the present boundary, ac-
quiesced in by Great Britain for twenty
seven years. shall not be disturbed and that
we will not admit to discussion any question
of the slightest alteration thereof.
We trust this matter will receive proper
attention at the hands of congress. We
do not believe thsre is a public man in the
United States who would, for single in
stant, consent to any discussion whatever
of this nsolent pretense Of British right to
territory of the United States.