The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-10
AMusEMENTs TONIGHT.
At THE THIRD AvENUE-Bslasco-
3hAL company. In The First Bora
DUuDAuRurAL alaskan PROFOSI-
TONS.

; Senator Fairbanks visit TO the
Northwest. already productive Of good
IN directing public attention TO the In
terests Of this section Of the country and
IN impresslng upon the distinguished
and influential visitor himself the vast
ness and progressiveness Of this sec
ton. promises important results for the
nation. Those who are familiar with
the conditions In Alaska feel that the
senator's Journey TO Wrangei. Skagway
and the White Pass can have but the
one result of further fixing the deter
mination Of the American members OF
the CanadiAn-American commission 10
yield nothing Of United States territory
and to accept no modus vivendi that
will continue the Canadians In their
present illegal position II the journey
does 20 result the benefits viii be be-
yond measure.
Quite an endless controversy seems to
have arisen between the official utter
ances 1t Washington and London as
to who did which In the negotiations
Of the joint commission. each country
seeming TO desire to convey the notion
Of IL conciliatory disposition and liber-
Atty. We shall probably not be thor
oughly satisfied AZ to the facts until the
Joint ofIicial record Ii published. but II
has become obvious that the commits
sion realizes now. a. the Northwest has
realised from the outset, that the Alas
kan boundary dispute il the most I'M
portant and far-reaching Of the numer-
Gus considerations under discussion. II
involves an issue that is more than
transitory and requires for It's proper
adjustment such thorough knowledge
Of facts upon the part Of the American
commissioners as can be obtained only
In the way now undertaken by Senator
Fairbanks and subsequently TO be un-
aertaken by Congressman Payne.
Alaska IL an enormous territory. tenn
mg In wealth. awaiting exploitation.
and likely To be OF infinite value 10 the
government. The only portion OF It's
area which IL underlined happens TO be
that In which the greatest public inter
est now rests. Lack OK exact geograph-
teal knowledge In the days when the
title Of the territory was transferred
from Russia so the United States has
left an uncertainty OF boundary for
more than q quarter Of "A century and
ditsculties have been escaped only
through the remotensss OF the district
Now that conditions have changed /.
becomes Imperative that the uncertain.
ties should be removed and the re-
srectivc national owncrsnips defined a.
promptly as possible,
Senator Fairbanks and his associates
Of course. mus, I've left free 10 maks
their own conclusions in order that they
may the better defend them when IN,
sessions Of the join, commission are
again resumed or the better 20 represent
them to the state department. Bat tas
citizens ~ the Northwestern states whs
are familiar with The question feel TIA
three fundamental propositions mus, b
insisted upon as representing the a,sl
tude both Of she residents ~ Alask,
and 81 the states NEST closely allied 4
T. These propositions are:
Firas-rh~rr must ne No e~saicm
whatever tn Canada OF territory -
60 which there wss NO atsrute prter
se the kIsnatke atseev~rf~s
s~~esa-rAsr~ rast he NO maa~s
vtv~aai witch viii ~aWssau~ the
prese~t positions tti~stttasssiy as-
saWea nv the Canadians aathortsf~s
rAara-xe Underwater eea~~sss~~s
whereby Canada viii gain . per,
ana = strategic position which 4,
Ases act now held