Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-03

| States to participate in a great international
exposition at Paris in 1901, rs a suitable COM
memorarion of the close of this, the worlds
marvellous century of progress. 1 heartily
recommend its acceptance together with such
| legislation as will adequately provide for a
| due representation of this government and its
| people on the occasion.
Relations with Germany.
Our relations with the states of the German
| empire are, in some aspects typical of con-
! ditiOn of things elsewhere found in countries
| whose productions and trade are similar to our
| own. The close rivalry of competing indus
! tries the influence of The delusive doctrine
that the internal development of a nation is
| promoted and its wealth increased by policy
! which, in undertaking to reserve its home
| markets for the exclusive use of its own pro
| ducers, necessarily obstructs their sales in
| foreign markets and prevents free access to
| the products of the world: the desire to retain
| trade in time-worn ruts, regardless of the
| memorable laws of new needs and changed
| conditions of demand and supply, and our own
| halting hardness in inviting freer exchange
of commodities, and by this means inn eriing
| our footing il the external markets naturally
| open to us, have created n situation somewhat
| injurious to American export interests not
only in Germany, where they are perhaps
| most noticeable, but in adjacent countries.
1t is not to be forgotten that international
| UTdut cannot De One-Slueu. llS currents are
! alternating and its movements should be hon
| estly reciprocal. Without this it almost nee
| essarily degenerates into q device to gain adj
| vantage or Il contrivince to secure benefits
| with oily the semblance of a return. In our
| dealings with other nations we ought to be
| open-handed and scrupulously fair. This
! should be our policy rs "a producing nation,
and it plainly becomes us rs a people who
| love generosity and the moral aspects of ma.
tional good faith and reciprocal forbearance
These considerations should not however,
| conStrain us to submit to unfair diScrlmlna-
| ton nor to silently acquicsce in veXatOus him
! ORANGES to the enjoyment of our share of the
| legitimateS advantages of proper trade rela'
! tions. If an examination of the situation sug-
gcsts such measures our part as would in
volve restrictions similar to those from which
we suffer, the way to such a course is easy. 1t
! should, however, by no means be lightly
entered upon, since the necessity for the in
auguration of such a policy would be re-
GREETED by the best sentiment of our people,
and because it naturally and logically might
lead to consequences of the gravest character.
The Seal Question.
| Our relations with Great Britain, always in
innate and important, have demanded during
the past year even greater share of consider
alton than is usual. Several veXatious ques-
tions were left undetermined by the decision
of the Behrng sea arbitration tribunal. The
application Of the principles laid down by that
august body has not been followed by the re-
suits they were intended to accomplish, either
because the principles themselves lacked in
| breadth and dctniteneSs or because their exc
| cution had been more or less imperfect. Much
correspondence has been exchanged between
| the two governments on the subject of pre-
| venting the eXterminating slaughter of seals.
The need of more effective enforcement of
! existing regulations, as well as the adoption of
such additional regulations as experience has
| shown to be absolutely necessary to carry out
| the intent of the award, have been earnestly
urged upon the British government, but thus
| far without effective results In the mean
time the depletion of the seal herds by means
of pcagic hunting has so alarmiEgy pro-
| crossed that unless their slaughter is at once
| effectively checked their extinction within a
| few years seems to be u matter of absolute
| certainty.
The understanding by which the United
| States was to pay, and Great Britain TO re-
! ceive, a lump sum of $4,000 in full settlement
of all British claims for damages arising from
our seizure of British sealing vessels unauthor-
! lied under the award of the Paris tribunal of
arbitration was not confirmed by the last con-
! gress, which declined to make the necessary
! appropriation. am still Of the opinion that
| this arrangement was a judicious and advan-
| tageous one for the government, and l earn
| tSblS TtCOIlIleuu ludb IL De ubdll tOlSlutTttl
and sanctioned. IT, however, this does not
meet with the favor of congress, it certainly
| will hardly dissent from the proposition that
| the government is Dund by every considera-
| ton of honor and good faith to provide for the
| speedy adjustment of these claims by arbitra-
ton rs the only other alternative.
| Notwithstanding that Great Britain origin
ated the proposal to enforce international
rules for the prevention of collisions at sea,
| her majesty's government, having encoun-
| tered opposition on the part of British shipping
interests, the entire matter is still in allegiance,
without prospect of better condition in the
| 1ear future.
The commissioners appointed to mark the
international boundary in Passamaquoidy bay,
according to the description the treaty Of
Ghent, have not yet fully agreed.
Alaska Boundary Dispute.
The completion of the preliminary survey of
| that Alaskan boundary which follows the con-
tour of the coast from the southernmost point
of Prince of Wales Island until it strikes the
meridian at or near the summit of Mount st.
Elias awaits further necessary appropriation,
which is urgently recommended.
AS to the remaining section of the Alaskan
boundary, which follows the l4lst meridian
northwardly from Mount st. Eliasto the frozen
| ocean, the settlement of which involves
the physical location Of the meridian mem
toned, no conventional agreement has yet
been made.
In the meantime the valley of the Yukon is
becoming highway through the hitherto I'M
| explored wilds of Alaska and abundant min
eral wealth has been discovered in that re-
gion. In these circumstances it is imperative
that the jurisdiction limits of the respective
governments in this new region be specially
determined Her Britannia majesty's govern
ment has proposed joint delimitation of the
l4lst meridian by an international commission
of experts, which, if congress will authorize
it and make due provision therefor. can be ac-
complished with no unreasonable delay. 1t is
impossible to overlook the vital Importance of
continuing the work already entered upon
and supplemcnting it by further effective
measures lool ing to the exact location Of this
entire boundary line.
Great Lake Boundaries.
call attention to the unsatisfactory delimi.
tation of the respective jurisdictions Of the
United States and the Dominion of Canada in
the great lakes at the approaches to the narrow
waters that connect them. The waters in
question are frequented by fishermen of both
nationalties, and their nets are there used.
Owing to the uncertainty and ignorance as to
the true boundary, vexatious disputes and in
furious seizures Of boats and nets by Canadian
cruisers often occur, while any positive settle
nent thereof by an accepted standard is not
easily to be reached.
A joint commission to determine the line in
those quarters, a practical basis, by
measured courses following range marks on
lhore, is a L, cessity for which immediate