The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-15
The British Demand for an American
Seaport In Alaska.

SOdpOtt
II has boen taken for granted that the
controversy concerning the inland boun-
dairy OF Alaska would be suspended for
some time to come owing to the accept
ance OF a modis uirendi by Great Britain
and the United States. At the time when
the provisional agreement was made there
was reason to apprehend that Germany
might cooperate with other Continental
Powers for the purpose OF thwarting Eng
lands plans for the coercion OF the South
African Republic. Under the circum-
stances, it was, obviously. a matter of
moment to remove, temporarily at least,
a source OF friction between the
Americans and the Canadians. How
ever much the loyalty OF the Dominion
may be priced, the British Government
at the time when the modus rirendi
WA arranged, could not afford to crafty
the wish OF its dependency for an Alaskan
seaport at the risk OF a collision With the
United States. Now, however. that Ger
many's good will seems to have been
definitely secured. the British Foreign
ONCE no longer feels the need OF counting
our moral support, and We are informed
that the British Ambassador at Washington
Is instructed to press for an Immediate
submission OF the Alaska boundary dispute
TO arbitration, coupled with the condition
precedent that Pyramid Harbor, or some
other Alaskan seaport shall first be coded
by US In full sovereignty to Canada.
The British Government is deceived II II
imaRines that American public opinion
would tolerate the voluntary surrender OF
any part OF the territory to which we
believe that we acquired a valid title
when We purchased Alaska from Russia.
We, certainly. should not consent, In
matter involving the integrity OF our
national domain, to invest an inter-
national court with the great and elastic
discretionary powers exercised by the Vene-
xuelan arbitrators, whose award was
svowedly based upon no principle OF law,
but upon motives of convenience. There
was something to be said by international
llwyers for the boundary claimed by Vene-
nuela, and there was something to be said
for the line demanded by British Guiana,
but there Is absolutely nothing TO be said
for the line adopted by the Paris board OF
arbitrators, except that 1t answered their
notion OF n compromise.
AS for the British demand that Pyramid
Harbor or some other Alaskan seaport
shall be made over as free gift to Canada
In advance OF the proposed arbitration, we
are at q loss to know what consideration
England can offer for such a sacrifice. What
obligation We may have incurred to Eng
land at the outset OF the war with Spain
has been, by this time, discharged. Since
the conclusion OF the mOdus virendi, which
It was supposed, would quiet the Canadian
clamor about Alaska for at least year, we
have rendered services Of vital Importance
10 Great Britain, BY our announcement
that we were resolved to maintain the
''open-door" policy in China, by Il o orders
given to strengthen greatly our fleet in the
Far East. and by the ntimation that our
South American squadron would be sent to
the southeast coast OF Africa we indicated
with all the clearness possible on the part OF
an American Executive which does not
possess tho power of declaring war,
that, in the event OF the formation Of q
Continental coalition against England, the
moral and, II need be, tho material, influ-
ence OF the United States would be arrayed
on England's side. Tho magnitude of this
service will be appreciated when wo call TO
mind that the German people would have
hailed with enthusiasm their Kaiser's adj
hes!on to an anti-Brtish combination aud
that, had the attitude Of the United States
Iermite such coalition, Germany would
have had chance Of gaining much larger
acquisitions than she has been able to ST.
cure In the bargain about Samoa Nor can
any one who notes how severely Englands
military resources have been strained by