Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-04

Original map, Is indicated 10y dotted portion.
in the negotiations. would be instructed
Ito admit with certain qualifications. the
terms last proposed by the Russian gov
eminent The qualifications related to the
width ''Of the strip Of land required by
Russia on the continent" to the boundary
IN IN" vicinity of Mt. 81. Elias. and the free
use of the rivers, seas. straits, and waters
which the limits assigned to Russia would
comprehend. In his instructions to Sir
Charles Basot Secretary Canning said:
There are two points which are left to
he settled by your eXCellency:" The first.
the eastern boundary Of the strip Of land
to be occupied by Russia on the coast"
and second. the right Of resorting To the
territory and waters conceded To Russia.
THE second negotiations said the
SPEAKER, were mainly confined to the Sec
ond point. In the interval a treaty had
teen signed between Russia ana the United
States. whereby the latter had secured the
right for ten wears to frequent the interior
seas. gulphs. harbours and creeks upon the
coast north of 81 degrees 40 minutcSD for
the purpose Of trading with the natives of
the country. Bagut was instructed to OBJ
tain like privilege for Great Britain, but
to secure a longer term than ten years if
possible. y demand was mace for the
privilege forever. Russia refused, and ne
gntiations were again broken off
ST Stratford Canning. one Of The ablest
British diplomats Of the century. replaced
fagOt when negotiations were again re-
Sumed and the matter of the width of the
strip demanded by Russia on the coast did
not receive serious consideration until the
final stage of the negotiate ions was under
taken by him and aS Great Britain had by
that time receded from all the other con-
tenuonS, IL only remained for him 10 adjust
the eastern line of the strip of the MAIN
land which was 10 be held by Russia. In
his draft of treaty it was proposed that the
line should follow the crest of the noun
tains. provided that if the crest of the
! mountains should be more than ten marine
leagues from the ocean the line should fol-
low the SinuoSitieS of the coast, so that it
should at no point be more than ten
leagues from the coast. The Russian ne
gotlatOrs objected to the proviso and in
sisted that the crest of the mountains
should be the invariable line arguing that
the natural frontier was the mountains fol-
lowing the coast.
Imperfect Geographic Knowledge.
/ Much of the difficulty in reaching an
| agreement on this point grew out of the
| imperfect geographic knowledge of the
| period In 1925 George Vancouver I'M
/ der the direction of the British admiralty,
| made the first accurate and scientific sur
| vey of the northwest coast of North Amer
/ lea. and his charts were published in 1913.
/ These chats were for more than a genera
! ton the basis and source of information of
] all maps OF that region. His survey was
| confined to the coast. as he made no ex-
/ plpratlon of the interior of the mainland
| beyond what was visible from his vessels.
! From these he saw at all points in the re-
! sion under consideration continuous ar
/ ray OF mountains. and upon his charts
I there appears delineated a regular noun
| tain chain following the slnuosites of the
! coast line around all the iniets. We know
| that the negOtiatOrS of the treaty of 1873
/ had before them Nancouver's charts and
/ two other maps, one issued by the quarter
/ master generals department, St. Peters,
| burg, 1ao2. which reproduces the noun
| tains as laid down by Vancouver. the other
ArrOwsmiths latest map, being the one
| published in London in 1922 with addition
| of 1873, and this map omits all mountain
| features in the region, being entirely blank.
| The correspondence frequently shows that
/ as TO the interior of the mainland the ne
| gotiators were in great ignorance of its
/ topography, and We have seen that even
| the deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay
| Company was not better informed.
The British minister's fear was as we
! have seen, lest an invariable line of the
| summit of the mountains" might carry the
| Russian line even to the Rocky mountains
| and it was to avoid such a contingency that
| he insisted on a specific limit to the Rus
| sian strip of the mainland. The Russian
| negotiators reluctantly yielded to the Brit
| ish view and the treaty was concluded.
Three Facts Established.
| THE correspondence and documents thus
| reviewed by me clearly establish three facts
| as the result of the negotiations: First
| that Russia was to have a continuous strip
| of territory on the mainland around all the
ihlets or arms of the sea. The purpose for
I W mich the strip was established would he
| defeated II II was to be broken in any part
| OF It's course by inlets or arms of the sea
| extending into British territory; second
| with the strip of territory so established
! All the interior waters of the ocean above
| It's southern limit became Russian and
| would De inaccessible to British shipS and
| traders except by express license 1t was
| because the Russian negotiators refused to
| make ihls license perpetual that the ne
| gouatlons were a second time broken off
ana only renewed when Great Britain
| yielded on this point; third, the strip of
| territory was to be ten marine leagues wide
| in all its extent, unless inside of that limit
a chain of mountains existed which con-
| stituted natural boundary or watershed
| between the two countries. The sea-
| ward base proposed by Great Britain was
| rejected, and there is no indication thai
| isolated peaks We're to constitute the line
| We come now to the provisions of the
| treaty, and l conffne my examination tn
| those respecting which there are existing
| differences. Article III, in delineatinp the
| first section of the boundary, provides that
| commencing from the southernmost point
of the island called Prince of Wales Island
| which lies in the parallel of 81 degrees 40
minutes north latitude, the said
boundary line shall ascend to the north
along the channel called Portland channel
| as far as the point of the continent where
II strikes the fifty-siXth degree of north
| attitude The United States holds that nm
der this provision the line starting from
the extremity of Prince of Wales Island
| Shall enter the broad deep and usually nav
: iSated opening of Portland canal or chan