Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-02-18

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SENATOR WATSON j. SQUIRE, WASH.
the expense of commission to be APP
pointed for the purpose of examining
the situation and of reporting to the
president the fact as to the real
boundary line between British Guiana
and Venezuela. Congress promptly
passed an act making the appropria-
ton; and the commission has been APP
pointed, and it is at work
1t will take fully year for the COM
mission to make its investigation and
report. Every avenue of information
will be examined and thoroughly trav-
ersed. The commission is composed Of
men learned in law, international law
and the history of the contention. They
will do their duty in an intelligent
manner, and their conclusions will
form the basis of future action.
But, when the commission makes it's
report some time next year, and sub
lnits it's conclusions to the president,
it will then be necessary for this gov
eminent to call the attention of Great
Britain to the status of affairs, and of
the intention of the president and of
our country to enforce the Monroe doc
trine, and prevent the aggression of
Great Britain, or any other foreign
power, upon the territory of the weak
err governments of the new world.
In accordance with diplomatic usage,
it will then be the province of Great
Britain to ask time, in order that a
commission from that government may
make an examination of facts. This
request must be granted. The British
commission will consume at least an
other year in it's work; going over the
same ground which will have been trav-
crsed by the commissionappointed and
authorized by this country. Thus. two
years will have been consumed before
we get to the fighting point.
But there is another matter concern
ing boundary lines which is of vastly
more present Importance to our peo-
pie; and that is the disputed boundary
line between our Alaskan territory and
British Columbia. Whether erroneous
ly or wilfully, Great Britain is claim.
ing large part of our territory; and
it is all rich in gold and other precious
products.
A resolution was recently introduced
in the senate by Senator Squire, of
Washington, providing an appropria-
ton of $4,000 to defray the expense of
locating the boundary line by an inter-
national commission to work conioint-
ly with an American commission, in
order that report may be made upon
which this government may base ac-
ton through the department of state.
The senator says that the Alaskan
boundary is conveniently Invisible into
two sections: The first where it fol-
lows the contour of the coast from the
southcrnmost point of Prince of Wales
island until it strikes the Hist meridian
at or near the summit of Mount st.
Elias; the second where it is formed
by the Hist meridian, which it follows
from that intersccting point to the
frozen ocean.
The going in of the miners and the
development of the country has been
such that the valley of the Yukon is
becoming a highway through the
hitherto uneXpiored wilds of Alaska.
his region has great mineral resources,
recently discovered, especially at OF
near the junction of the boundary
meridian of the Yukon and it's trbu-
tarics. What is known as the rorcu-
pine river is another of the tributaries
upon which surveys have been made,
The outposts of civilization and en-
terprise are springing up, and under
these circumstances it seems exceed
ingly important, and, indeed, ncces-
sary, that the jurisdictional limits of
the respective governments in that new
region should be determined. 1t is
understood that her Britannia mai
csty's government has already pro-
posed joint dclimitation of the 141st
meridian by an international commits
sion of experts, and if congress should
create this commission. and make pro-
vision therefor, the necessary result
can be accomplished with no unreal
sonable delay by means of the conven-
ton which is contemplated to that end.
It will be observed that Senator
Squire's resolution provides for "an in
ternational commission to fix the
boundary line. 1t was originally the in
tention of the senator to introduce a
resolution providing for nm arbitrary
commission by this country alone; but
the department. of state has views con-
corning the management of such affairs
in diplomatic manner, and the senator
wisely deferred to the opinions of en-
perienced officials. 1t is always better
to do so, because with the aid Of an en-
ecutive department it is much easier
to secure legislation. 1t is not always
satisfactory to secure partial results
in congress; but the statesman who is
wise enough to wait can always secure
initial legislation which will ultimate
ly accomplish che full results desired.
Because of this fact, Senator Squire's
resolution was modified. Ultimately
there may be satisfactory diplomatic
understanding by treaty. and il that
result cannot be obtained within year,
it will then BE- proper for the senate, to