The times., 1897-07-30

| recent claims of Great Britain To part
OF what the United States has always
regarded as Alaskan territory most inter-
esting matters at this time.
The facts about the Alaskan boundary
are that from the time the United States
purchased the northwest peninsula of North
America from Russia, in 1867, until 1854.
it was always supposed that there was
no question about the boundary, and that
the United States knew exactly what it
had purchased; but that, in 1884. Canada
published map different from any ever
before printed, which pushed the boundary
westward, and that in 1887 Canada pub
lished another map which drew the line
still llfarther westward, and cut the southern
part OF the supposed possessions of the
United States virtually in half
As to the northern part of Alaska. the
peninsula itself. there seems to be no ques-
ton as yet. The boundary here is the
141st meridian west OF Greenwich, On
both sides Of which the gold discoveries
lie This boundary is stated SO plainly in
the old treaty betw cen Russia and England
that there has been no questioning 1t even
by sucn a pusher of boundaries as Great
Britain. 1t is with relation to the Alaskan
pan handle that there have been dis
covered chances for dispute, owing to
alleged antiquities OF the treaty.
The whole boundary is founded on d
treaty between Russia and Great Britain
In 1926. Russia had made the first ex-
plorations in the country and founded
settlements. and on these based her claim.
This treaty OF 1926 defined the limit Of
Russia's possessions. In 1867, when the
United States purchased from Russia, the
deed contained the exact wording of the
treaty as to the boundary Of what was
secured.
The boundary as 1t appears both in the
treaty and in the deed is as follows:
Commencing from the southernrnost
point Of the island called Prince of Wales
Island, which point lies in the parallel of
"a degrees 40 minutes north latitude, and
between the 131st and 1881 degree of
west longitude tmeridian of Greenwich,
the said line shall ascend to the north along
the channel called Portland Channel far
as the point of the continent where 10
strikes the 56th degree OF north latitude:
from this aforementioned point the line of
demarcation shall follow the summit of
the mountains situated parallel to the coast
as far as the point OF intersection of the
141st degree OF west longitude fof the same
nierIdian): and finally, from the said point
of intersection, the said meridian line Of
the l41st degree, in its prolongation as
far as the Frozen Ocean,
With reference to the line Of de1narca-
tion laid down In the preceding article, it
is understood:
First. That the island called Prince
of Wales eholl hoIn
Russia NOW, by this cession, to the United
States).''
Second That whenever the summit
of the mountains which extend in direc-
tion parallel to the coast from the seth
degree of north latitude to the point of
intersection Of the 41st degree OF west
Longitude shall prove to be at the dis
tauce OF more than ten marine leagues
fIom the ocean, the limit between the Brit
ish possessions and the line OF coast which
is to belong to Russia, as above mentioned
THAT is to say. the limit of the possessions
ceded by this conyention), shall be formed
by line parallel to the winding of the
coast, and which shall never exceed the
distance OF ten marine leagues therefrom."
Every MAP Of Alaska from 1925, when
the Russian English treaty was signed, un-
I'll 1884, construed this somewhat am
higuous boundary (ambiguous because
founded on insufficient knowledge) in one
way. The line starts at Cape Murzon.
which Is the southernmost cape of the
Prince OF Wales Archipelago Gas there
was no Prince OF Wales island at the time
the treaty was made), and runs westward
to Portland Channel, thence along the
channel and north to the 66th degree Of
north latitude. The well defined range Of