New-York tribune., 1897-07-25
NO BOTNDART DISPUTE.

According to an Ottawa dispatch. the Cana
dian Government has had It's attention called
"to the claims advanced in the United States
press that the Yukon gold fields are in Amerl-
"can territory" We have observed no such
claims in any important print. Yet 1t Is pos
sible they are being made. The SILLY season
is at hand. Big gooseberries and live snakes in
q mans stomach. and all the rest Of the stage
properties of midsummer farce comedies, are
coming TO the fore. Why not claim to the
Clondyke? Why not 'move to abolish the sun
ard the moOn?"
But our Canadian friends may be assured that
If they are at all concerned over such claims
they are frightened with false fire." There Is
rot there never has been, and there never Will
Ie any serious intention in this country Of claim
ing the Ciondyke region. As well claim the city
of Toronto or the Tower of London. There Is
DO dispute and never has been, about the Alaska
boundary in that region The line follows the
Hist meridian of west longitude. There can be
no more DISPUTE over it than over the Equator.
All that is necessary is to run the line, scien-
tifically and mark it at convenient intervals
with posts or other monuments. Provision has
already been made for doing that work by an
international commission of engineers, and 1t
will doubtless be done. with accuracy and cx-
pediion In the mean time let us have done
with idle babble about disputed boundaries and
land grabbing in a place where there are no such
things
The entire course Of the lower Yukon is In
United States territory as far up as Boundary
Creek. The lower reaches Of the Porcupine
River and the upper reaches Of Forty Mile
Creek and Sixty Mile Creek are therefore In
cd NJ ic
ir all those regions there is probably much gold.
But Dawson City is in west longitude 1892 %,
and therefore many miles to the Canadian side
OF the line; and the Clondyke extends southeast
from Dawson City, and is therefore altogether
OH Canadian soil. SO are Fort Cudahy and
Forty Mile. SO are the greater parts of the over
land routes from Juneau by way Of Chilkat
Pass and White Pass and the lakes. It would
be nice thing. no doubt, to have all those
regions under the stars and Stripes. But they
are not and there is no use in pretending that
they are Americans who go to the Clondyke
must understand that they are going upon Brit
ish soil and are making themselves amenabe to
British laws.
Nor should this fact be overlooked, that in
permitting army of aliens to swarm over the
llne and carry away millions of dollars in gold,
the Canadian Government IS nctlng Win Seher-
osity that should he appreciated and recipro-
Gated one Of the chief complaints against the
Chinese has been that they come to this country
merely 20 get what they can out Of it, and then
90 bacl; home with the proceeds That is ex-
actly what American miners are doing in the
Clondyke region. They are entering British
territory getting all they can ont Of it and then
coming back TO the United States with their
wealth. That the Canadian Government should
freely permit this is manifestation Of a kindly
spirit toward this country which should fac-
tate the adjustment of all relations between the
two nations upon a friendly and mutually ad-
vantagcous basis.