The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-06

Recent dispatches foreshadowing the
early and definite settlement of the
Alaskan boundary question are liable to
misconstruction without explanation
Lord Aberdeen, Governor-general of
Canada. in his address at the opening
of the Dominion Parliament, few days
ago said: II am happy to be able to
inform you that the commissioners APP
pointed by Great Britain and the United
States for the purpose Of delimiting the
boundary between Alaska and Canada
have> concluded their labors and have
signed joint report for presentation to
their respective governments. This re-
port will be laid before Parliament in
due time" 1t was also stated in a Wash
ington dispatch Of the Sd inst. that Gen.
eral Duffield. chief of the Coast and
Geodetic Survey, had presented to the
Secretary Of State the joint report on
the Alaskan boundary which had been
resentative at their meeting at Albany
last week. and that in view of the results
Of the surveys General Duffield does
not hesitate to express the opinion that
there can be no serious dispute between
the United States and Canada over the
boundary" This commission is the one
referred to by Lord Aberdeen
In so far as the dispatches imply that
the commission had authority to agree
upon or establish the boundary line they
are misleading. 1t was simply author
lied to summarize and report the results
of series of surveys which have been
in progress for three or four years past.
The trouble in this case has grown out
of the failure to make surveys and To-
cate the line as it was defined in the
treaty of 1926 between Great Britain and
Russia. The boundary has always been
clear enough on paper, but has not been
located by actual surveys. From 1926
to 1889 it was not disputed, though it
was all the time open to dispute. At the
instigation of the Canadian authorities
negotiations were opened between Great
Britain and the United States, resulting,
in July. 1892. in the signing of an agree
ment providing fer the appointment Of a
joint commission to locate such parts of
the line as had not already been per-
manently and definitely settled. These
commissioners were to complete their
ports first by Nov. IS. 1894, and then,
under an extension of time, by Jan. 1,
1896. This extension of time was made
by President Cleveland and Secretary
Gresham in March. 1894. at the request
of the British authorities, and there is
reason to believe it was asked for in
order to give further time for British
subjects to make settlements on the
Alaskan side of the line. AT all events,
the extension of time has been utilized
in that way.
The surveys under the agreement Of
1892 were carried on by parties from the
United States and Canada under the di-
rection, respectively. of the superin-
tendent of the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey and the chief astron-
omer of the Canadian Department of the
Interior. 1t will probably be found that
the survey on the part of the United
States was embarrassed and our inter-
ests endangered by the removal of Dr.
t. c. Mendenhall as superintendent of
the Coast and Geodetic Survey in July,
1894, and the appointment of General
Duffield as his successor. This change
was made by the present administration
for political reasons. Aside from the
| fact that scientists do not regard Gen.
eral Duffield as competent for the posi-
| ton, it was obviously unwise to make
| the change pending the settlement Of so
important a question. The surveys on
| the part of the Canadian government
| have been under the control Of one head
| from the beginning.
| The report of the commissioners who
met last week at Albany will not def
nitely settle anything, and will not
| touch the location of the northern ex-
tension of the Hist meridian of longitude
along that part of the boundary which
is now in dispute. Moreover, the lines
as surveyed have not been marked, and
as long as they remain unmarked by
permanent monuments British aggression
will continue. The President urged con-
gressional action on the subject in his
recent message. He said:
Her Britannia Majesty's government has
proposed a joint delmitation of the one
hundred-and-forty- meridian by an in
ternational commission of experts. which,
II Congress will authorize il and make due
provision therefor. will be accomplished
with no unreasonable delay. 1t is impos-
sible to overlook the vital importance of
continuing the work already entered on.
and experimenting it by further effective
measures looking to the exact location OF
this entire boundary line.
Senator Squire has introduced a reso-
luton for the negotiation forthwith of
a new treaty between the United States
and Great Britain for marking the
boundary, and appropriating $4,000 for
| expenses. The mere Establishment. of a
| boundary line without marking it avails
very little against British greed. In
| dealing with such a government delays
are always dangerous. No time should
| be lost in definitely settling and con-
| spicuously marking every part of the
| boundary line.