The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-30
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Reasons For Protest Against the
y: .s.a Dominion Government. ~-5,-s
OUR MERCHANTS VICTIMIZED.

lures For Legitimate Business the
Laws We're So Changed as to Shut
Them Out, Involving Heavy Loss.
Washington, May 3O.-Feeling 1t to
be necessary at this stage in the ex-
changes between the United States and
Great Britain respecting the Canadian
boundary controversy that the exact
attitude Of the American commission
ers should be defined, and that the
people not only of the United States
but of Great Britain might have an op-
portunity to jddge for themselves Of
the comparative rectitude of the ac-
tions of the United States and Canada
respectively, the following statement
has been obtained from a prominent
person:
Canada continues to be land of
surprises. The friendly protocol of
Washington was signed onMay 30, 1898,
for the adjustment Of all differences
between the United States and Canada
in most amicable spirit. The ink of
that protocol was only well dry when
the province Of Ontario discovered a
chance to exhibit her idea Of interna-
tional equity. American lumbermen
had been invited to take timber limits
in that province with the privilege Of
cutting logs and exporting them to the
United States. The provincial govern
ment, after giving them their leases
and taking their money into the treas
ury, passed decree prohibiting the ex-
port of such logs, with the result Of
causing some bankruptcies In Michi-
gan.
During the sessions Of the commits
sion the same peculiar idea OF interna-
tional justice was exhibited In another
province--that of British Columbia.
This time 1t was the mining interests
that were involved. The authorities
of that province took the money of the
American miners who had made the
discoveries of gold, allowed them to
spend thousands of dollars in con-
structing a roadway to the scene of
their interests and then proceeded to
change their laws to conflne all such
mining privileges to British subjects
and British corporations.
Another such instance of this kind
of practice worked out to American
nurserymen. They had taken contracts
to supply certain stocks to the Cana
dians, when, under the pretense OF
authorities prohibited any further I'M
portation of nursery stock. AT the
same time the Canadian courts held
the Americans liable for violation of
the contract which their own laws had
caused to be vacated.
The Dominion government also
seems to share these peculiar prin-
ciples of International intercourse in
respect to the boundary of Alaska.
They protested Indignantly against
any conditions saving the existing
right of Americans to the country to
be arbitrated. Years before the COM
mission met United States citizens.
without any question or protest against
their right to do so, had occupied the
head waters of the Lynn canal and es-
tablished towns and settlements there.
Canada had never asserted claim to
the region. The Americans had built
paths over the passes from the Lynn
canal beyond the mountains and es-
tablished communication with the
Yukon by Intervening lakes and
streams. This, too, was done without
protest or question of their right to
pass over the mountain submits.
Under these circumstances the Uni
ted States commissioners thought IL
right to withhold such tidewater set
Elements from the arbitrators juris-
diction, and 1t was against this limita-
tion that the Canadian commissioners
SO vehemsntly protested. Now 1t seems
that Canada is protesting with equal
vehemence against arbitration, unless
the United States shall agree to give
them in any case the Pyramid harbor
region, to which they never before the
meeting of the commission asserted
any right, which they had never occu-
pied with flag, or constable or Can
adian subject, or even a canoe.
How they reconcile this claim with
their position in the commission in re-
spect to referring the boundary ques-
tion to arbitration remains to be eX-
planned to the British government.
There seems little prospect of adjust
ment Of the boundary question If it is
left to the control of the Canadians.
If they are to control the action of
the imperial government it is import
ant to that government that Canada
should bring her ideas to conformity
with those which have hitherto guided
Great Britain and the United States
into the paths of peace and friendship.
The officials familiar with what has
been done so far in the Canadian nego-
tiations dismiss very quietly the pub
lished statements that the present
hitch crew out of the failure of the
two countries to agree upon the ma
tionality Of an umpire for the pro-
posed arbitration, with the simple re-
mark that this referred to phase OF
the negotiations existing many months
back, when the commission was In ses-
sion, and does not cut any figure now.