San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-31
LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.
Great Britain Appears To
To Be Doing So.
ATTEMPTING TO HOG SOME OF
OUR RICHEST CANADIAN
TERRITORY.
And This Just After Grabbing One
OF Our Hawaiian Islands She
Is Evidently After Trouble
And Will Get 1t If Uncle
Sam Isn't Let Alone.

New York, July S1.-A special to- the
Tribune from Washington says:
The claim of Great Britain to a big
share of Alaska promises to occupy
large amount of public attention for
some time to come if, indeed, it does
not become vital question and give
rise to diplomatic complications be-
tween the United States and England.
The claim is regarded by government
officials here as preposterous. The
Senate, before which the boundary
question was brought as the outcome
of a treaty negotiated by Secretary
Olney and Sir Julian Paunceforte, did
not place itself on record in the mat
ter, however Before a vote was ia
ken, Congress adjourned so that the
location of the divisional line, which
has been in dispute since 1884, is no
nearer settlement than it has been at
any period in the last thirteen years.
General Duffield, superintendent of
the coast and geodetic survey, was a
member of the boundary commission.
The survey authorized by it until fe-
Gently has been deemed official and
correct by both countries. General
Duffield said today:
"Up to 1884 both countries were prac-
tically unitS5 as TO 1he boundary line
from Mount st. Elias to the south
west According to the terms of the
treaty between Russia and Great Brit
ain, the United States, in purchasing
Alaska in 1867, acquired all of Russias
rights. In describing southeastern
boundary, the Anglo Russian treaty
read: The line of demarkation be-
tween the possession of the high con-
tracing parties upon the coast of the
continent and the islands of America
to the northwest shall be drawn in the
following manner: Commencing from
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 1S1st degree and the i33rd degree
of west longitude, the same line shall
ascend to the north along the channel
called Portland channel as far as the
point of the continent which strikes the
Seth degree of north latitude. From
this last mentioned point the line of
demarkation shall follow the summit
of the mountains situated parallel to
the coast as far as the point of inter-
section of the 141st degree of west
longitude of the same meridian and
finally from the said point of intersec-
ton the said line of the 141st degree,
in it's prolongation as far as the froz-
en- region, shall form the limit between |
the Russian and British possessions on |
the continent of America to the north |
west. Wherever the summit of the |
which extend in a direction |
parallel to the coast from the seth de- |
gree of north latitude to the point of |
intersection of the 141st degree of west |
longitude shall prove to be distance /
OF more than ten marine leagues from |
the ocean, the limit between the Brit
lsh possessions and the line of coast /
which is to belong to Russia, as above
shall be formed by a line
parallel to the winding of the coast
and which shall never exceed the dis
lance of ten marine leagues therefrom.'
"On all maps from 1866 down to
1884 the boundary line had been shown
as in general terms parallel to the |
winding of the coast and 35 miles from
[. In 1884 however, an official Cana |
liam map showed a marked detection
n this line at it's south end. Instead
If passing up Portland channel, this
map showed the boundary
Is passing up Benin canal, an arm of
he sea some 60 or 20 miles west of
Portland channel, this change having
'een made on the bare assertion that
he words Portland canal as inserted
we're erroneous. BY this change of |
he line an area of American territory |
bout equal in size to the state of Con-
lecticut was transferred to British
erritory. There are three facts which
20 to show that this map was incor-
ect. In the first place, the British |
dmiralty when surveying the north
IN limit Of the British Columbian pos
essions in 1868, one year after the ces-
ion of Alaska, surveyed Portland ca
al and not Benin canal and thus by
implication, admitted this canal to be J