The herald., 1898-12-25

treaty of 1917. It will further be provided
that officers of the law may convey their
prisoners from one point in America across
Canada back into the United States and
vice versa. At present it is necessary to
make long journeys around at certain points
or to lose the prisoner as soon as he touches
alien soil. Another provision of the agree
ment reached will provide for wrecks on
the Great Lakes, keeping a vessel under its
own nations jurisdiction no matter on
which country's soil the wreck may be
driven.
1t has been agreed that the Alaskan
boundary line shall be determined by
corps of surveyors and experts who will go
to the spot and investigate. Mining rights
will be settled on some equitable basis, the
Canadians not being disposed to be ''mean"
| about them. 1t is possible that foreigners
in the Klondike will be required to pay
somewhat larger taxes than natives, but as
surance is given that these will not be bur
densome.
The lumber question seems to be one of
those on which no agreement has been
reached.
1t cannot be learned whether anything
has been done to settle the alien labor dis
putes. Each country now has laws forbid
ding the citizens of the other to cross the
border and get employment These laws are
not very often enforced, but they act as a
standing menace TO a man who has a Job on
the other side, and sometimes cause con.
siderable hard feeling. 1t is probable that
Canada may pass law excluding paupers,
criminals and the like and that both coun-
tries may then remove other restrictions.
From the foregoing it will be seen that
the two nations have done away with
number OF small but vexatious difficulties.
even if they have not succeeded in reaching
any agreement that will solve the great
problems that confront them.
THE PACIFIC CABLE BILL
An effort will soon be made by the house
committee on interstate and foreign COM
hefce 10 take up aId push To vote the bill
lor the construction OF d submarine cable
between the United States and Hawaii, or
more comprehensive one tor laying bic
ali the way to the Philippines.
There Is already pending in the house a
Dill reported at the last session granting to
the Pacific Cable company OF New York a
subsidy OF 100000 year Ior twenty years
on condition that it give proofs OF its ability
to lay cable and has it in operation from
San francisco to Honolulu by Jan. l, 1900,
and has it extended to China and japan in
one year more.
Ihe bill was reported by Mr.. Bennett oil
New York before Admiral Deweys victory
changed the lace of oriental affairs and made
the Philippines the natural terminus or at
least natural way-point on the route. This
Will necessitate changes in the act, or more
properly, Its entire recasting, even il it be
thought advisab BILE to leave the matter in the
hands OF private corporation. An effort
Will undoubtedly be made to secure gov
ernment appropriation for directly building
the line, but congress will probably prefer
not to undertake it, our traditional policy
being quite different.
Our commissioners at Paris were anxious
to buy the island of Oualan, one of the
Carolines, and offered a good round price
therefor, but Spain, with her traditional
policy of cutting off her nose to spite her
face, refused to sell to us because She does
not like us. She will probably sell to Ger
many at reduced price, rather than DER.
NIT us to profit.
However, Oualan is not essential for
cable station, though it would be advan.
tageous. Honolulu, Oualan and Guam
where the cable must touch, are at the three
points of triangle. Oualan is about 25OO
miles from Honolulu and just half that far
from Guam, making total cable bv that
route about 300 miles. From Guam 70
Honolulu direct is only 3340 miles, but the
advantage in making repairs and alterations
is much greater with the longer route.
1t is difficult, though not impossible. to
work cable more than 5000 miles long.
The longest cable in existence is that from
l'rest, France, to Cape Cod, which measures
3l67 miles. The great amount of slack
necessary of course requires the actual cable
to be much longer and makes it almost i'm
possible to manage
II we are to grant subsidies for cables it
bchooves us to settle the matter of cables
i'll time of war. 1t is pretty generally
agreed that cables are contraband of war and
that they must either be closed when they
lead into the territory of belligerent or
will be liable to destruction by the enemy.
Especially in the Pacific is this easy. the
water all through the Oceanic islands being
shallow, permitting the ca.
bles to be fished up nearly anywhere by
ship properly supplied. How easy it is to
do this was apparent off Cuba, when the
u. S. 8. Massachusetts, on one occasion
brought up one of the cables there on
huke of her anchor.
The law in the matter has never been
settled.
CRITTENDEN MARRIOTT.