Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-07-28
TIL. Alaskan Boundary.

Philadelphia Ledger
Sir Wilfrid Laurier. the Canadian
prime minister, announces in the house
of commons that the only alternatives
for the settlement of the Alaskan
boundary dispute are arbitration or an
appeal to arms. He adds that no one
would think of arms, and that nothing is
left, therefore. but arbitration. By the
obstinate position which Canada is taking
all of the questions proposed to the Joint
high commission allby the way. When
efforts were recently made for deliml-
tation of territory the dominion pro-
posed that the United states should
retain Dyea and Skaguay and concede
Pyramid harbor, at the head of the Lynn
canal. AS all of these points were and
are under American Jurisdiction, Canada's
proposition amounted to nothing more
than an impudent demand for American
territory. As the New York Sun says:
| The impossible feature of the proposal
| however, was that 1t would have given the
Dominion port on Lynn canal. If there is
one thing that we could not surrender in
such negotiations it is the complete control
of the coast. The whole intent of the Anglo
Russian convention of February 90, 1875, was
| to give that control to Russia, and as conse-
| ouence it fixed the boundary as either the
mountains situated parallel to the coast or,
| If no such chain should be found then as a
coast line parallel to the winnings of the
coast, and which shall never exceed the dis
lance of ten marine leagues therefrom.' De-
irving this right to the coast from Russia, we
| coild not concede 10 Canada n tidewater ter
minal point thereon, or admit the theory that
the ten marine leagues should be measured
| from line cutting across the mouth of Lynn
| canal from headland to headand.
The United States has proposed a
modus vivendl, during the continuance
of which the boundary should be held
to pass two miles from Klukwan, an
Indian village on the Chilkat inlet.
above Pyramid harbOr. This would in
clude in American territory an Ameri-
can mining camp on Porcupine creek,
The Canadian negotiators desire that
the line shall run below Klukwan, so
that the Porcupine creek region should
pass into the control of the Dominion.
In view of the fact that Americans are
actually occupying this ground it would
appear that Canada is strainng her
pretensions. However debatable the
boundary may be, Americans first ex-
plotted the region, and should be re-
tanned in temporary occupancy at least.
The Canadian premier considers a
resort to arms out of the question, a.
he may we'll do, inasmuch as Great
Britain is not disposed to part friend
ship with so powerful a neighbor and
tacit ally as the United States. Sir
Charles Upper berates the American
press for asserting that Canada is an
swerable for the inability of Great
Britain to come 70 an agreement with
the United States, but the press has re-
corded what is an obvious fact. This
country has all of the rights in Alaska
that Russia possessed, and the latter's
effective control of the coast was never
successfully disputed. By custom and
precedent the United States has valid
claim upon he territory to which Can.
ada laws claim, and there is no doubt
that Great Britain would have agreed
to the American proposition but for the
foolish obstinacy of Canada. which
leaves unsettled not merely the Alas
kan boundary, but other questions
which, from the economic view, are fully
as important and equally in need OF
settlement.
These serious questions include tht
fur seals and other fisheries, transpor
tation across the boundary, mining
rights, alien labor laws, reciprocity II
tariffs and eXtradition, All of these
must wait for settlement because Can
ada desires TO drive a sharp bargain
over the Alaskan frontier. American
members of the high commissian ant
other well informed Americans who
have visited Alaska are convinced thai
our case is impregnable, and that tbs
Dominion must yield ultimately.