The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-07

snA1rLx, rnuDAr, July :.



An EDlToR SEES TT.
It Il very gratifying to the defenders
Of the integrity Of Alaskan territory to
md 20 able and impartial an observer
80 DR.. Albert shaw. the editor Of the
Review OF Reviews. upholding In It, en-
tirety the American position in the
boundary controversy and maintaining
thai there Is no call either for q con-
promise, . modus vivendi or arbitra-
ton.
DR.. Shaw sees clearly through the
animus az the Caoadian contention. at
tributes II, as do all Western people
who are familiar with the matter. to
the coveting OF q port OF entry to the
geld fields. and holds that II has moth
Ing whatever to stand upon. Says the
July number Of the Review Of Reviews;
The CanadIans we're lucky enough TO and
Themselves tina possessors Of the kiondske
without dtapate. They were embarrassed
In their good fortune. however. by the dis
cosery that the United States possessed
and harasorS that gave convenient access 10
the gold district. when they found that
there was a chance 10 raise questions o. 10
ths exact location OF the linc between the
AxnAgiean seaccasf and the Canadian him
teriand, they did just what the Americans
probably would have done. They gave GER
tain novel and arbitrary constructions TO
the wording of the treaty Of ISIS. and found
that they could thus claim inlets which
would give tho Canadian kiondtks indie
pendent access 10 tho An. =
Il Il matter az history. paipable to
any one who will investigate Il. that ev-
cry claim made by Canada. either at
the present time or so far back ~ is7s.
TO . boundary other than thst clearly
specified In the treaties Of ISIS and 1861
has been put forward In the hope Of
gaining an advantages not otherwise
available for access 10 the Canadian In
land gold fields. The claims have been
entirely adventurous They have rest
ed upon no substantial basis and have
not been expected to succeed except W.
on some chance of American Ignorance
or American susceptibility to Canadian
blum.
DIR. shaw wei: points out that Cam
ada's own case I'm the current cnntro-
yersy IL refuted by even 20 common .
source Of authority as the maps OF the
Encyclopedias Britannica. wherein. the
boundary line claimed by the United
ftsnn sic k...
'"The mars which the Russians and the
British alike drew after the agreement OF
ls.@s and which they have always continued
that which anyone may SEE by turning 80
the map In the Encyclopedia Britannica
for example The efsscfai maps OF Canada
down Ia few years ago agreed with the
mars OF the United States. OF England. and
Of the rest Of the world In making the
coast line strip which the United States had
purchased 3 continuous one. with due
every Paint from the actual line Of tide
water"
II liz to be noted. however, that well
Informed as DR. shaw has become upon
the question as II now stands. he fails
10 have learned % the fac, that a con-
tiuusng eosetoasness. not only % gold
fields, but ef every possible trade ad-
vantage and privilege In the North
western country. has possessed the Ca.
nadians fer more than Atty years ami
tina, the present situation need never
have arisen had the Eastern people. she
Eastern press or the Eastern Federal
officials and congressman been as open
10 the voice os the West and Northwest
as they are now being forced 10 be. pr
Shaw says concerning the dispute Il
1885, which apparently IL tho only enc
of the several since ISIS with which he
Is familiar. that "the people ef the
United States understood tina, The
boundary question az that time was
simply the practical work az sie,lmit-
Ing the frontier and setting up merit
nenss." ard that this could not In
veive any question Of principle. aas
merely some expert work In surveying"
As a matter az fact the dispute OF 1875
arose directly from the desire az TIRE
Canadians "a control the Supposed en-.
trance TO their gold fields by Wrestling
the possession Of the Hehm canal away
from the United States and that ala
quite was merely q revival os the dis