Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-10
VOICES Or ms satss.
The rhleIy.mlls StrIp.
lN. Z. sun.ll

| The Ihien. lille Strip.
IN. X. SUM-
A recent dispatch from ottawa an
nounced that meeting OF the Domin.
| lon Cabinet had decided to open extra
customs stations beyond the head OF
Lynn canal. which Is In disputed terri
tory" and that the consent Of the
Washington authorities would be aske 4
l..to a modus vivendl under which
| Canada win have the right of way for
a telegraph over the disputed territory
from Lynn canal to the first mounted
police post" 49,
Thus it will be observed that Canada
quietly assumes that the frontier III
Alaska Is in dispute. 1t is well known
that that frontier has not yet been
marked out by visible posts or other
monuments; but, Canada would also
hold that the treaty leaves 1t doubtful
where the line runs. North OF Mount
ST. Elias, indeed, there can be no pre-
tence of uncertainty. since the 141st
meridian named as the frontier, can be
fixed with astronomical precision; and
fortunately the Yukon gold fields all
come in the region which this treaty
HleTluldH lIdVcISCSs DuL SOuln
Mount st. Elias is a long strip Of sea-
coast marked by different treaty line.
and this strip contains the ports ana
harbors through which the Klondyke re-
gion is approached by the Chilkoot
Pass. 1t becomes, therefore. a matter
of present Importance whether Cana
da's theory that there Is disputed terri
tory there is we'll founded.
The treaty of Feb. %. 1926. between
Russia and Great Britain. under when
our rights to Alaska are derived by
purchase from the former, says that
the boundary line, beginning at the
southernmost point of Prince OF Wales
island. ascends to the north alonk
Portland channel, as far as the point
of the continent where it strikes the
5Gth degree Of north latitude. Thence
1t Is to follow the summit Of the
mountains situated parallel to the
coast as far as the point of intersection
Of the 141st degree Of wess longitude
thence proceeding along that meridian
to the Frozen ocean. 1t Is further pro-
vided that whenever the summit Of these
mountains proves to be more than ten.
marine leagues from the ocean. tn.
line shall be formed by line parallel
to the winding Of the coast. which shall
never exceed the distance of ten marine
leagues therefrom."
1t turned out that the continuous
range of mountains parallel to the
coast, depicted on Vancouver's map.
which was used by the trainers of the
treaty. was imaginary. Hence the al
tentative provision of distance of
thirty marine miles from the coast
necessarily was adopted for determin-
ing the BOUNDARY; and the line thus
drawn. the line We still have for Alaska,
is found on British maps as well as
ours for period OF nearly or quite
sixty years after the signing of the
treaty.
Where, then, does the disputed ter
ritory" of the current ottawa de-
spatches come in? We Will endeavor
to explain About a dozen years ago
there appeared on some 4 Dominion
maps new line, nearer to the coast.
drawn in the light which some Cana
dian geographers and statesmen pro-
fessed to have obtained as to the treaty
requirements. In the first place, they
substituted for Portland, Canal, or
Channel, mentioned in the. treaty. an
estuary lying further west, called Benin
Canal. arguing that the words the
said line shall ascend to the north"
point to Benin Canal. whereas in order
to reach Portland Canal you must first
go to the east. and then to the north.
This view would take from us Revilla
Gigedo and smaller island. with a
large peninsula of the mainland be-
tween Portland channel and Burroughs
bay.
weigh the fact that Vancouver's map
contains Portland channel. plainly
marked, as the basis of the treaty. It
was needless to mention that the line
went eastward for twoscore miles from
Cape Muzon, the southernmost point of
Prince of Wales island, before going
north. because there is no other way to
get to Portland channel, and this mi
tial stretch is trivial compared with
the thousands of miles northward that
follow. And as to the further point
that Benin Canal extends to the seth
parallel. while Portland channel does
not, the latter goes probably to within
three or four miles of the parallel, and
possibly to within less than a mile, so
that a lack of knowledge of its exact
extent in 1925 Is not surprising.
But even more out Of the question Isl
the modern Canadian claim that the ten
marine leagues Shall be measured from
the outer edges of the islands along the
coast! That Is absolutely preposterous. i
The, treaty expressly declares that the
line shall follow 1.-The winding OF the
coast" and the French word In the
treaty Is sinuosites, which is equally ex.
pressive of q continuous line, turning in
different directions. How could that exl
list, with the great gaps between the
islands lying off the coast?
AS IL seeing this objection. an official
map made ten years ago, and recently
followed, proceeded to- supply treaty
range. parallel to the coast" by con- \
Meeting with straight lines. selected
number. of peaks, out of the many scat
tered over the region for miles back.
This device in some cases takes those
peaks that come down near the waters
edge. BY cutting across coast waters. in
some places, II, might give the British
hold on the coast
In Commissioner Martins map, pub
lished year before last the line, after
running up Benin Channel and passing
along the summit OF sundry peaks man.
ufactured into range. leaves to the
British the head of the inlet known az