Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-24
DISPUTE BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN
AND THE UNITED STATES.
ENGLAND PLANNING A GRAB.
SEEKING TO CONTROL GATEWAY TO
INTERIOR OF ALASKA.
Rich Gold. Copper, Iron, Coal and
Marble Deposits and Valuable
Timber in the Disputed Ter
.ritory The Treaty
With Russia.

has occss!ou,d q good deal of interest II
the West. aud the value Of the region oil
territory involved is so great that 1t !.
rrob3bls the claims OF Canada, which are
espc =cd hy the British government. viii
be resisted 10y our government with more
determination than has usually character
lied such controversies. Owing TO the I'M
portauce Of the points at issue, and from
Tho fact also that the dispute is 20 be a
long if not bitter. one, it will be OF serV-
ice 10 give a history Of the case as it now
stands.
on February 2S. 1875. Stratford Canning
British plenipotentiary and Count de Nes-
selrode and Pierre de Poleticia, for Russia
signed a treaty whereby what is now Alas
ka became the property OF Russia. Under
this treaty the boundary was specifically
set forth as is shown in the two following
sections from that instrument:
Sec. g. The line OF demarkation between
the possessions Of the high contracting par
ties upon the coast of the continent and the
islands of America to the northwest shall
be drawn in the following manner: Com
mencing with the southernmost point of the
island called Prince of Wales island. which
point lies in the parallel of 81 degrees 40
minutes north latitude. and between the
l3lst degree and the l3Sd degree or west
longitude. the same line shall ascend TO the
north along. the channel called Portland
channel as far as the point of the continent
where II strikes the 56th degree OF north
latitude from this last mentioned point the
line of demarkation shall follow the sum
nit Of the mountains situated parallel 10
the coast far as the point OF intersee-
tion of the last degree Of west longitude
Cof the same meridian). and finally from
the said point of intersection, the said
meridian line OF the l4lst degree, in its pro-
longation as far as the frozen ocean, shall
form the limit between the Russian ana
British possessions on the continent OF
America TO the northwest.
Sec. T. That wherever the summit of the
mountains, which extend in direction par
allel to the coast from the 56th degree OF
north latitude to the point of intersection
of the 14lst degree of west longitude, shall
prove 70 be al the distance Of more than
ten marine leagues from the ocean, the
limit Of the British possessions, and the
line of the coast which is to belong TO
Russia, as above mentioned, shall be
formed by a line parallel to the windings
of the coast, and which shall never exceed
the distance of ten marine leagues there
In 1867 the United States purchased Alas
ka in its entirety from Russia, paying for
it S,2OO. 900. England did not then raise the
question as 10 the boundary. but during
all the time that Russia was the possessor
OF Alaska, and up TO 1883, term of fifty
nine years-forty-two years under Russian
British ownership and seventeen years un-
der United States-British control-the Alas
kan boundary. as above set forth, was new
er questioned, but in all maps, charts and
British oficiaI matters this boundary line
was shown and represented as American
maps and official documents still hold II.
and as IL came to this government from
Russia. Between 1875 and 1867 the Russians
had officially occupied all the territory west
OF Portland channel. and following the
transfer Of Alaska TO the United States in
1861 our government did the same thing
From 1861 to 1887 United States troops were
stationed at Fort Tongass. at the mouth
of Portland channel and customs officials
were stationed there as late as 1889. All
this was without any protest from either
Great Britain OF Canada, the boundary line
established in 1S25 being recognized by
Great Britain Canada and the United
States. In 1884 the Dominion Of Canada on
its maps and territorial charts changed the
Alaskan boundary line to suit its own pur-
pose. but the Dominion press was silent on
this point till 1892 That the British govern
ment recognized what the Dominion of
Canada makes claim 10 Is proved by the
fact that at the instigation of her maies-
tvs government the United States on July
y. 1897. entertained Great Britain in a con-
VentiOn, resulting in the appointment of a
commission for the purpose set forth in
article of that convention: Providing for
the delimitatIon of the existing boundary
between the United States and her ma les
tvs possessions in North America in re-
spect 20 such portions of said boundary line
as may not in fact have been permanently
marked in virtue of. treaties heretofore con-
Under this agreement the time allowed 10
complete surveys and submit final reports
was November IS 1884, but by an agreement
between the two governments in March
lAs4 the time limit was extended to De-
cember 81, 1885
The disputed lands are in the southeast
ern division of Alaska in what is known
as the panhandle OF that vast territory
which division alone comprises about q, 900
square miles of territory The claim sci
up by the British government. which now
conforms to its maps, charts. etc. since
1874, in brief is that instead OF Portland
channel, Benin channel. the first inlet west
OF Portland channel, was meant: and start
ing from this point, the line of demlrka-
ton as now extended by the British in
cludeS an area about 500 miles I'm length
and OF varying width up to $50 miles in
Cluding, as Mr.. Bcgg. an English authority
reports. about 100 miles of seacoast, with
It's harbors and the islands adjacent there
70. IN pursuance OF the international
agreement, England and the United States
nave each had and now have engineering
parties in the disputed territory
II is the universal report OF Americans
iully conVersant with this section of Alas
ka, many Of whom have traversed IL re-
peatedly. that there is no defined range of
mountains, as there would appear to be by
the treaty referred to. but that that mar
uculSr section. ten marine leagues from
the Wtndings of the coast line is a iumbIed
up mountainous country of varying width,
whereas. by photographic views skillfuIIv
srfanged,a continuous range may be shown
,t ~ aGSualiE existing In strict continuity,
tnouEh such representation would be false
Dr. sheldon jackson, United States gen
eEal agent OF education in Alaska I'm a re-
cent interview in answer TO the question
rs there enough OF value IN This disn,itoj
section to make n fuss about?" is reported
10 nave said: The funny part of IL All ie
the cheek displayed by England i'm at
Russia and the United States have FOR sjx
" years fad free and undisputed posses-
SION. and which our government now owns
hE IiAHt OF purchase. No nation on the face
OF the earth that has splf-respect W-ouId
make such a claim. The value az fba erin
that the English government Is now saslL
lnS 70 bring within its territorial limits is
almost ines TINA ble. Alaska last wear in bpr
slSH tanhtlits alone did business of fully
So,vhw". the greater part of which busjpees
Is IN Jbe disputed Alaskan territor1- Ono ~
ths famous Eold mines Of the world valued
IN san Francisco at SI3VO0o10. is In mis-
section. Besides this. there are many otbeT
boid ana silver properties there thaf ara
IaIluiN, teln- developed, while the nm
touched forests OF this section are sr,,ta-
than any 81 the United States I-T, sLesISI tt
time no timber has been shipneS ONT oS
80 "a, W law OF the United States nre-
NtuL.LlE ms, the forests being held under
goNernfneIt control 70 prevent sy-n5iIa,os
and spectators from getting i'm and ,,lirs l,ss
UP thlS vast extent Of fine timber arJ -
thlS act We have held a forest reserve fb5t
VIII ne OF inoalcu!ahlc value 10 the J-ri,Ss
States in the future If she n3sfYto,,1.h hlLeu
ownership thereto Resides this tbaro ' i'Sa
lhrEe deposits OF copper. iron. coal and
H+t2le. Whlgh me British now claim. Tbe
population OF Alaska IS now 35 OD0 az v-bycS
number about twO-thirds are in tbis s,,ttGh ,i,fh
eastern or disputed division Tho ITDi,1
states government now has twsnt,,-ejsIt
schools IN Alaska. and the reIirfof,s So' SII'
nations are widely and liberaiit ,-.'ooIil UeI.oIil-
ed. and In no place In the world ars tLn,-
so Systematically divided as to lOcatjo,, - ~
IN Alaska. each different sect having 10
Gated IN separate districts through horyf ~,
great territory. The army of Mon VIC ~ -
working into the interior or main nay, us
Alaska come by steamer to Chillxst aH5
thence follow "a trail distance M fortS-
miles 10 Forty-Alile creek. where tbe,, b'l;SSA4
cheap RATS and hoat down the Yukon rivsT