Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-05-13
VIEWS ARE DIFFERENT
Regarding the Situation as to
Negotiations with Our Ca.
madam Neighbors.
FAIRBANKS DENIAL OF A REPORT

Includes an Optimistic View of the Joint
Commission-washin Comment on
London Cable Intimates That the Com
mission Is n Dead Failure Now-watson
Sails Next Week to Relieve Dewey, Who
VIII Strike the United States First at
New York.
Washington, May Ex-senator Fair
banks, chairman of the American end
of the joint high commission appointed
to adjust the differences with Canada,
says there is no truth at all in widely
circulated reports that the commission
has been abandoned. The commission
had anticipated some such reports. he
says. and when ii adjourned il made
declaration expressly intended to refute
any allegation that it would not meet
again. The work Of the commission
stands exactly where it did, he declares,
and will be resumed at that point Aug.
at Quebec.
Going to Look at the Alaskan boundary.
Senator Fairbanks will sail for Alaska
June 10 for the sole purPose of making.
a careful examination of the boundary,
in order to deal with the settlement
of that question before the commission
and if that body had been abandoned
he would not undergo the hard labor
involved in such a trip. 1t is true that
lumber and the boundary questions
were stumbling blocks in the way of
negotiations last spring, but Fairbanks
has a good deal of confidence in their
adjustment before the next session of
the commission is over.
Optimistic View in England.
Additional on the same subject and In
the same line is contained in a London
the progress of negotiations by and the
status of the Washington joint commits
sion, the correspondent here of the As
sOciated Press has obtained from the
highest quarters the following authori-
tative statement: Negotiations have
never been broken off nor endangered
at any time since the adjournment of
the commission. 1t matters proceed as
smoothly they are at present doing
here. Sir Julian Pauncefote's return to
Washington will be signalized by the
conclusion of treaty embracing every
question in dispute, in a manner honor
able and pleasing to the two countries"
Washington Is Simply Hopeful.
Due notice has been taken by. the Of
fciaIs here of the semi-official decIara-
tion from London respecting the chances
for the conclusion of treaty that will
settle All of Ji8fs questions at issue be-
tween the United States and Canada
All that can be said is that the admin
istration viii be extremely gratifed if
Sir Julian Pauncefote returns to the
United States with new instructions that
viii meet the difficulties which baffied
the commission. for as matters stand il
is realized that nothing can be expected
10 result from further meeting of the
commission. The statement that the
negotiations are to be deferred until the
return of Sir Julian Pauncefote to WASH
ington is regarded as significant.
With Canada Out of the Play.
1t confirms fully the original statement
that the commission cannot meet Aug.
2 next, for the ambassadors return to
this country was set for next autumn
The dispatch also appears to convey
an intimation that the British govern
ment has about reached the conclusion
that the only method by which these
vexatious issues can be adjusted is by
direct negotiations between the repre-
sentatives of the governments of Great
Britain and Of the United States. The
parties to the negotiations UP to this