Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-03-03
ALASKAN TREATY.
Text Of an Important international
Arbitration Agree
ment.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 26.-The
following is the full text of the treaty
for the determination of the Alaskan
boundary, signed on January 80, 1897,
between Secretary Olney and Sir Julian
Pauncefote:
Article 1. Each government shall appoint
one commissioner with whom may be aSso-
ciated such surveyors, astronomers and
other assistants as each government may
elect. The commissioners shall at as early
a period as practicable proceed to trace and
mark under their joint and by joint opera
lions in the field SO much of the 141st
meridian Of west longitude as is necessary
to be defined for the purpose of determin-
ing the exact limits of the territory ceded
to the United States by the treaty between
the United States and Russia Of March 80,
Inasmuch as the summit of Mount st.
Elias, although not ascertained to lie in fact
upon said 141st meridian, is SO nearly coin
cident Herewith that it may conveniently
be taken as visible landmark whereby
the initial part of said meridian shall be
edoeIl s6o It is agreed that the g p
Yisable so to do, may defect the most
southerly portion Of said line so as to make
st. Elias such detection not to extend more
than twenty geographical miles northward
~ from the initial point.
Article 2. The data relating to the de-
examinations already made at this time by
either Of the two governments concerned
Of points on or near the Hist meridian for
submitted by each government to the COM
missioners, who shall decided whteh of the
results of'the determinatio shall be adopt
ed by them.
m1ssloners as to the correct geograp hical
co-ordlnates of one and the same point de-
termined by either of the two governments,
separately, a position midway between the
two locations in question of the 141st mer-
idian shall be adopted, provided the dis
crepancy then shall not exceed 1000 feet.
n n for rnTNoT T1n-
joint determination shall be made by the
commissioners.
Article g. The location CT the Hist
meridian AS determined hereunder shall be
marked by intervisible objects, natural or
artificial, at such distances apart as the
commissioners shall agree upon and by
such additional marks as they shall deem
necessary, and the line when and where
thus marked, in whole or in part, shall be
deemed to permanently define for all inter
national purposes the 141st meridian men
toned in the treaty of March 80, 1867, be-
tween the United States and Russia in the
treaty of February IS, 1926, between Great
Britain and Russia.
The location of the marks shall be de-
scribed by such views, mays and other
means as the commissioners shall decide
upon, and duplicate records of these de-
scriptions shall be attested by the com
missioners jointly and be by them deposited
with their respective governments, together
with their final report hereinafter men
toned.
Article 4. Each government shall bear
the expenses incident to the employment
Of It's own appointees and Of the opera
tons conducted by them, but the cost of
material used in permanently marking the
meridian, and Of it's transportation. shall
be borne Jointly and equally by the two
governments
Article 5. The commissioners shall dill
gently prosecute the work to it's completion
and they shall submit to their respective
governments from time to time and at
least once in every calendar year, joint
report of progress, and final comprehen-
slye report upon the completion of the
whole work
The present convention shall be duly rati-
ded by the President of the United States
of America, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate thereof, and by her
Britannia majesty, and the notifications
shall be exchanged at Washington or in
London as soon as possible within twelve
months from the date hereof
In faith whereof we, the respective plepi-
ootentiaries. have signed this convention and
have hereunto affixed our seals.
Done in duplicate in Washington the Both
day Of January. 1887.
RICHARD OLNEY
JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE.