The San Francisco call., 1897-08-14
THE THIRTY-MILE STRIP.
New York sun.


A recent dispatch from Ottawa need
that meeting of the Dominion Cabinet had
decided to open extra customs stations "be-
yond the head OF Lynn Canal, which is IN dis
putei territory" and that the consent OF the
Washington authorities would be asked "to
modus vivendi under which Canada will have
the right of way for telegraph over the dis
puted territory from Lynn Canal to the first
mounted police post"
Thus it will be observed that Canada quietly
assumes that the frontier of Alaska is in dis
pute. 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 ths treaty Leaves it doubtful when the
line runs.
North OF Mount st. Elias, indeed, there can
be no pretense OF uncertainty, since the 141st
meridian, named as the frontier, can be fixed
with astr onomical precision; and fortunately
the Yukon gold fields all come in the region
which this treaty meridian trsverses. But
south OF Mount ST Elias is q long strip OF sea-
coast marked by a different treaty line, and
this strip contains the ports and harbors
through which the klondike region Is ap-
preached by the Chilcoot Pass. 1T becomes
therefore matter OF present Importance
whether Canada's theory that there is disputed
territory there is well founded.
The treaty of February %, 1925, between
Russia and Great Britain, under which our
rights to Alaska are derived by purchase from
the former, says that the boundary line, be-
ginning at the southernmost point OF Prince
Portland Channel as far as the point of the
continent where it strikes the 56th degree of
north latitude. Thence it is 10 '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" thence
proceeding along that meridian to the Frozen
Ocean. 1t is further provided that whenever
the summit OF these mountains proves to be
more than ten marine leagues from the ocean
the line shall be formed by q line parallel to
the winding OF the coast, which shall never
CT m
therefrom.'
IL turned out that the continuous range of
mountains parallel TO the coast, depicted on
Vancouyers map, which was used by the
trainers OF the treaty, was imaginary. Hence
the alternative provision OF distance OF
thirty marine miles from the coast neces-
sarily was adopted for determining the
boundary; and the line thus drawn, the line
" e 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 territory
OF the current Ottawa espatches come in?
We will endeavor 10 explain. About dozen
years ago there appeared on some DOMINION
maps o new line, nearer to the coast, drawn in
the light which SINE Canadian geographerS
and statesmen proiessed to have obtained as
TO the treaty requirements. In the first place,
they substituted for Portland Canal, or chan
nell mentioned in the treaty, an estuary lying
further west, called Benin Canal, arguing that
the words ''the said line shall ascend 10 the
north" point to Behm Canal, whereas IS in order
10 reach Portland Canal you must first go TO
the east, and then 10 the north. This view
would take from US Revilla Gigedo and a
smaller island. with large peninsula of the
mainland between Portland Channel and
Burroughs Bay.
the fact that Vancouver's map contains Port
land Cham ell. plainly marked, as the basis of
the treaty. II was needless 10 mention that
the me & wen. eassWaru M lot Wosc1le miles
point of Prince OF Wales Island before going
north, because there is no other way 10 get to
Portland Channel. and this initial stretch is
trivial compared with the thousands of miles
northward that follow. And as to the further
point that Behm Canal extends to the fifty
sixth parallel, while Portland Channel does
not, the latter goes probably TO within three
or iour miles of the parallel, and possibly 10
within less than mile, SO that lack or
knowledge of its exact extent in 1925 is not
surprising.
But even more out of the question is 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. The treaty ex-
pressly declares that the line shall follow "the
winding of The coast" and the French word
in the treaty is sinuosites, which is equally
expressive of a continuous line, turning In
different directions. How could that exist
with the great gaps between the Islands lying
off the coast?
AS if seeing this objection en- official map
made ten years ago and recently followed,
proceeded to supply O treaty range "paralleI
TO the coast by connecting with straight
lines q selected number OF peaks out of the
many scattered over the region for miles back
This device in some cases takes those peaks
that comes down near the waters edge. BY
cutting across coast waters in some places IL
might give the British hold on the coast.
In Comm sioner Martins map published
year before last the line, after running up
Benin Channel and passing along the summit
OF sundry peaks mann factured into range,
leaves to the British the head OF the inlet
known as Tracy Arm, cuts across the Taku
Inlet about midway aud performs like ieats
with Lvnn Canal and Glacier Bay. The mouth
OF the Taku River, the best place for seaport
is thus transferred TO Great Britain, so lar as
map-maklng can do it, while in Lynn Canal
the line is made to run south of Berners Bay,
where Americans have long been settled. The
whole distance Shence upward is thus claimed,
port.
such is what Canada chooses to consider