Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-10
ALASKAN BOUNDARY QUESTION.

Vob-S AAOINs
The failure of the Anglo-American
commission to agree upon the question
of the Alaskan boundary has, during the
past few weeks, clothed it with more than
passing interest and induced many to
study the origin of the Alaskan boundary
question, and estimate the value of the
opposing contentious. AS a few words
may convey the gist of the existing situa-
ton it may not be out of place, at this
juncture, to give it.
In 1925, England conferred. by treaty,
certain rights upon Russia to Alaska.
That territory was then considered valu-
able for it's fur bearing animals alone.
and it's boundaries were not so clearly de-
fined as it is now wished they had been.
Without any clear understanding of
boundary lines separating Russian from
Canadian territory, by a tacit under
standing among the fur traders of that
their country, Juridiction over the Pacific
coast as far north as so degrees starting
from the south. On the other hand the
Russian fur companies, starting from the
north, claimed jurisdiction over the same
coast as far south as 81 degrees. They
chiefly worked the islands which form
an archipelago along the coast outh-
ward from Alaska, while the British fur
traders worked chiefly on the mainland.
1t is conceded by both England and
Russia that the delini.ation of 1926 gave
Russia a strip of the Pacific coast about
thirty niles wide along the Pacific coast
of Canada for some 500 miles southwark
from the southeast corner of Alaska. In
speaking of it the London Times says:
1.-The terms of the treaty and the dis
patches regarding it leave no doubt that
the intention on both sides in the nego-
Station was literally to create a fence
which should divide the hunting grounds
of Russian fur traders from the hunting
grounds of British fur traders
1t was also undisputed that the fence
was to run along the coast of the main
7.x-1 F,1-. Nto,~+ CO 4. -o;-+ -,
the Sc parallel of latitude, and thence to
continue by water to the south end of
Prince of Wales island, in latitude 81 de-
grees As minutes, and that nowhere was
the width of the fence to exceed thirty
miles measured from the ocean. Now
the whole difficulty lies in coming to an
understanding as to where the ocean
ends, and as to where the waters con-
nected with the ocean, but belonging to
Canada, begin. Are all arms of the sea
however far they penetrate into the
mainland, to be held to nave been within
Russia's limits? Thai is the rock upon
which the commission split. The Canadian
view is thai the frontier line should be
drawn from headland to headland with
out regard to the ~windings and sinuositie;
of arms of the sea, thus giving Canada
access at certain points to the sea. The
American contention is that Canada is
everywhere shut out from the sea. AnG
there the matter rests.
The United States bought Alaska from
Russia in 1867 and the rights of the lat.
ter, whatever they may have been, were
transferred to the United States. For
nearly three quarters of a century no eX.
act Interpretation of the treaty of 1872;
has been given. The country was no,
thought to be of enough Importance t
require it. But American vim, American
pluck and American progressiveness
have pierced icy barries and are felt al
over Alaska. The London and OttoWa
authorities see what has been discovered
have heard the chink of gold and arr
now aroused to the value of Alaska and
are anxious to get What they can of its
treasures. That is why this haggling Is