The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-01-25
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY DISPUTE
Senator Squire's Gear and Accurate
Exposition Of the Question.

senator Squire's Gear and Accurate
Exposition Of the Question.
Washington Star: Senator Squire has
the credit of giving the clearest and
most accurate exposition of the Alas
kan boundary question that has yet
been offered. Mr.. Squire introduced a
resolution in the senate appropriating
$4,000 for the share of the United States
in the joint expense of this country and
Great Britain of locating the 141st me-
ridian of west longitude where it forms
the boundary of Alaska and British
North American territory. In INTRODUCES
ing this resolution, Mr.. Squire explained
the entire Alaska boundary question.
and did so so satisfactorily as to cause
Secretary Olney to pronounce his eff
fort as the best exposition of the subject
he had ever heard.
THE Alaskan boundary is conven-
iently divisible into two sections" Mr..
Squire explained. 1.-THE first, where it
follows the contour of the coast from
the southernmost point of Prince of
Wales island until i; strikes the 141st
meridian at or near the summit of Mt
st. Elias; the second, where it is formed
by the 141st meridian, which it follows
from that intersecting point to the fro
zen ocean.
THE determination of the exact linn
its of the first coastwise section is in
progress, or has been in progress until
recently, through a preliminary survey
by American and British expeditions
acting separately or coincidentaly as
convenience might dictate, under the
provisions of the convention of July %
1892. and the supplementary convention
of February 3, 1894, between the United
States and Great Britain. The object
of this preliminary survey has been to
obtain for the information of their re-
spective governments affirmative data
from which they may by conventional
agreement determine the true boundary
described in the AnglO-Russan treaty
of 1925, and redescribed in the first arti-
Gle of the treaty between the United
States and Russia of March, 1867
whereby the Russian territory of Alas
ka was coded to this country.
FURTHER TIME NEEDED.
"As before stated, this preliminary
examination had been taking place un-
til the 31st day of December, 1895, to
which date it was extended by supple
mentary convention of Febru ary 3. 1894
1t seems that. referring to the presi-
dents message, a further extension Of
time will be necessary, as we'll as an ad-
ditiOnal appropriation for the compile
ton Of this work
1T has been enormously stated in the
public prints. as / am informed upon
good authority that some agreement
has been signed by the respective COM
missioners in the past few days This
seems to be a misapprehension. These
commissioners were not created for the
purpose of coming to any agreement
They had no power relative to coming
to any such agreement so as to bind
their governments. They were simply
to examine and report for the informa-
ton of their respective governments
and to furnish the necessary data to af-
ford the basis for a treaty between the
United States and Great Britain rela-
tive to the southeastern boundary of
Alaska. / doubt not there should be an
apprOpriat ton for the continuation Of
the work of the commission, and / be-
lieve it is expected that the present
commission will be continued by a con-
vention between the two governments
extending the term of its existence and
its labors."