The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-28


TO submit 10 oar government 9gS.,ssa A n
for general arbitration between tns two
nations. and 1t IL not impossible that the
Alaskan controversy II suspended by mu-
tuaa consent until such proposal n,ay he
either accepted or rejected. 1t may bs
deemed inaoyisable 70 enter upon a second
controversy before the Venezuelan bound
AIRY 70 dsterminsd An approaching ma
tional election In the United States and
tho Armenian Mnhroxlio In Europe may
have made the publication Of the report
of the commission untimeiy. especially 90
II there ara material differences in the
conclusions the surveying parties have
drawn. Finally. the matter mssy-hass sur
fered simply from lack OF attention due
either 10 the absence OF the ambassador
from Washing ,on or 10 The eceu-
patton Of both embassy and state depart
ment In other affairs.
Coupling tho heightened public interest
in disputes OF this sort excited by tho
presidents Venezuelan message with ths
inquiry which notice or delay in this mat-
tar II sure TO excite. the time seems to
require precise statement Of the nature
Of the Alaskan controversy and the posi-
ton Ia which the matter now stands.
The boundary Az Dcaaed.
Alaska was originally Russian posses
sion. It's boundary was determined by
where representatives from Great Britain
and Russia had assembled TO discuss two
matters. The FRS; was the Russian claim
Of ls2i 10 dominion over the whole North
ern Pacific. and the second. and this was
quite the secondary object OF the confer
once. WAS 10 agree upon a boundary be-
tween British Columbia and Alaska.
These representatives defined the bound
AIRY as follows.
I-s.4s-v
point OF the island called prince OF Wales
island. whtch point lies In the parallel OF
- degrees ~ minutes north latitude. and
between the f2lst and igsa degrees OF west
longitude tnssridian OF Grsensich). the
saiq Line shall ascend TO The north afnpg
the channel called Portland channel. ~
FAR as the point Of the continent where Il
strikes the 18th degree of north latitude:
and from thu last mentioned pcipt the line
OF demarcation shall follow the summit
or the mountains situated parallel 10 the
OF the Hist degree OF west longitude toe
the same meridianl. and finally from the
said point of intersection, the said merl-
dian line OF the ltiss degree. In its pro-
iorgation as far az the frozen ocean.
Nv. With reference 10 the line OF DE-
marcation laid down In the proceeding ar
ticle IL Is understood
First-Tass the island called Prince OF
Wales island shall belong wholly 10 Rus
sia- tSow BY eession 20 the United
. SeSoHu-Ihdt whenever the summit OF
the mountains which extend in = d.rrc-
ton parallel 10 the coast from The Mth
degree OF north latitude 10 thu paint of In
tersection Of the 1{lst degree Of west lon
OF more than ten marine leagues sabou.
tnfrty-fiye miles, from the ocean thu
limit between the British possession. and
the line OF coast which IL 10 belong 10
Russia as above mentioned Chat is to Say
the limit 10 the possessions OF tina United
states). shall be formed By line parallel
to the winding Of the. coast. and which
shail never exceed the distance OF tan ma
rine leagues therefrom."
These particular specifications were
probably picked upon because the only
map before the diplomats IN session at 81.
Petersburg, a map executed by the er-
piorer vancouve- marked clearly a range
OF mountains generally parallel 10 the
coast and always within the ten marins
leagues specified. Napmakers OF tina.
day. both British and Russian, approx
mated the line as IL IL now marked on
American maps. and when I'm 1867 Aiaska
became sn American possession IL was
generally agreed thai the specific terms
OF the treaty pyecluded any controversy
over its boundary.
Canada Changes the Lsne.
Seventeen years after the eession 80 ire
United States Of Russian America how
ever. the Canadian government published
a map In which II frat anao9ncsf - Is,
position 70 challenge tie old srrroxifnated
line The long straight Tine from Mount
81. Elias 20 the frozen ocean, that which
bounds the greater part Of Alaska. WAS
unchanged. but thu short curved tine
which separates the sou.hernnost porto.
OF the territory from British Columbia
was altered very materially. Beginning
hfty-seven miles nearer the oHer sea than
In the earlier maps fhe Canadians MARKED
Portland ~hsrnsl. as so@ci8sd sr the
treaty. and thence generality northxsrd.
converrsng Sharply wlrh me cider iIns.
The new Boundary operated. % course, 10
diminish American Possessions and 20 IT,.
crease thoss OF Great Britain. A second
map further extending British rosambls
was promulgated n iseT and ? shtr1. cr-
Grating In he same rnarnsg. appeared only
o f.w months ago.
IL the land are-f.d BY che later maps
were barren waste. assumption Of tile
ss~rsto nv srrtEsr nation Should pro-
woke thorough contest Of thu claim. bur
this Land t. not vai9eIe~s Cs6arr.
spsuces sae pines abound nearer che eozss
and are rsssons big supposed 20 cover ali
the a4Iss and mountains Iniaad. SarHsa-
bic fords. that reach their way far into
rhess timber districts. are Interested by
the Last line almost az their mouth. Two
OF them. Tzku river ana Lynn canal. are
respectively 20 feet and La fee: deep AZ
s5s po4nf Of intersection. But most srn-
pn~FaGg If al. THE Whole regon n@af Ju~
nezu. Tie ate o. the famous TrsAfweil
god rssrs. . made pars o. Br..Ista colum-
bss. ana z.lnlag and exporting gold from
sna adjacent xoladesds vii become. there
fore. II tie cain holds. = British. nes al
American. industry.
ALTHOUGH Great Britain hss made no
Q ner eoatentsou than the publication 81