Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-01-16
ALASKA BOUNDARY
AN INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR
DAVIS ON THE DISPUTE.
He Declares Tia the Contention of
the United States Is So ManffestIy
sound That 1t Is Useless to Ar
bitrate - England Is Anxious to
secure n Large Amount of Very
Valuable Land.

|
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Davis
OF Minnesota, of the committee on for
eign relations, has been giving consid-
cradle attention to the Alaskan boun-
Diary dispute. He has found nothing
in his Investigations which would
cause him to change the lines which
have always been understood as the
boundary, and upon what both coun-
tries nave been proceeding for many
years. He says that the only question
in dispute is whether the ten marine
leagues from the ocean meant from
the main land or from the adjacent isl
ands.
MIR. Davis says that this does not
event present a cas- for arbitration,
because it is manifestly plain that the
shore of the main land of the continent
is the basis OF the true line. 1t is also
evident from the selection of the
mountain range as a line that the men
who drew the boundary agreement
meant that the line should be ten
leagues from the ocean where it
touched the main land. Islands, he
says, always go with the shore, and
when a question arises as to whether
an island, no matter at what time set
tied or claimed, belongs to one country
or another, it goes always to the coun-
try owning the main land, If the main
land is adjacent. So it is with the ISL
ands of Alaska. 1t became the proper
ty of Russia, because Russia owned
the main land of the shore, and be-
came the property Of the United States
when Alaska was SCld to this country.
The desire of Great Britain for n
portion Of the Alaskan coast is plainly
apparent, declares Senator Davis, when
1t is considered that there is a vast
country in the Northwest Territory
which Can reach the seaboard only
through a pass in the North Rocky
mountains, and thence across the strip
of lard owned by the United States.
East of the Rocky mountains and east
of the Alaskan coast is a country Of
Almost InestimabIe Value.
known as the Peace River country.
| There may be 100000, 600 acres of fine
tillable or pastural ground there. 1t
has the benefit of the warm currents
from the Pacific. which makes it a
milder climate than il those portions
of the Northwest Territory still farth-
er east. 1t is desired by Great Britain
TO open up this great wheat and stock
| producing country and secure a short
route to the sea. A branch of the Can
adam Pacific road could be built
through this Peace River region, and
by a pass through the mountains to
the seacoast without much trouble and
by a much shorter haul than by rail
roads further south. This would give
! the Canadian Pacific another Western
terminus, would build up a British city
| right upon the flank of the Alaskan po-
sition Of the United States, and there
would be another great naval station
and a military post commanding our
Alaskan territory, and the protection
which the Alaskan coast now gives to
this country would be largely multi
fed. The object Of Great Britain is
quite plain. Upon the great fertile
lands to be opened by building a road
to the coast through the Peace River
region there would be vast fields OF
cereals competing with the grains
raised In our states along III northern
border. Senator Davis does not think
this government will ever seriously
consider the question of arbitrating
the Alaskan boundary.